FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said the governing body is prepared to consider expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams in the future, insisting that every nation should have the opportunity to dream of playing on football’s biggest stage.
Speaking in an interview with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino said the proposal for a 64-team World Cup will be discussed by FIFA’s relevant committees after the 2026 tournament, which is the first edition to feature an expanded 48-team format.
“The World Cup is not only for Europe and South America—it belongs to the whole world,” Infantino said, adding that every country should be given the chance to aspire to qualify for football’s premier competition.
He argued that the overall standard of football continues to improve across all continents and that giving smaller nations a chance to compete at the highest level provides a powerful incentive for their long-term development.
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Infantino also described the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup 2026 as a “100 percent success,” saying teams from every continent have performed strongly and the larger tournament has helped make the competition more globally representative. He pointed to the impressive performances of emerging football nations, including African teams, as evidence that expanding participation has strengthened rather than weakened the tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first World Cup to feature 48 teams instead of the previous 32. Any further expansion to 64 teams would require approval from FIFA’s governing bodies and is expected to be considered after the conclusion of the current tournament.