Gianni Infantino confirms FIFA will ‘examine’ 64-team World Cup expansion ahead of 2030 edition in Morocco, Portugal & Spain

The World Cup has only just transitioned to a 48-team format for the 2026 finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, but Infantino is already looking toward the next horizon.

The 2030 edition is currently scheduled to feature 48 teams, with Morocco, Portugal, and Spain serving as primary hosts while Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay host opening matches to celebrate the tournament’s centenary. However, a formal pitch from South American leaders has prompted FIFA to reconsider the scale of the event.

“It (a 64-team tournament) is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin. The FIFA president insisted that the competition must be accessible to more than just the traditional powerhouses, stating that the tournament was “for the whole world, not just Europe and South America.”