FIFA President Gianni Infantino leaves door open for even bigger World Cup
All the way back in January 2017, the FIFA Counsel unanimously decided to expand the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams. The first-ever 48-nation World Cup is happening now, but with one week left in the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has an eye toward expanding to 64 teams for future World Cups.
“This is certainly an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, per ESPN’s Shivam Pathak. “When you organize a World Cup, it’s important that you organize it for the whole world. It’s not just Europe and South America, but the entire world, effectively. Every nation should be able to dream of taking part in the World Cup.”
Infantino added, “We can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it’s getting higher and higher everywhere in the world. If you don’t give smaller countries the chance to participate in the World Cup, they also lose the incentive to keep improving.”
The 2030 World Cup, the tournament’s centenary, is already set to be the largest FIFA production of all time. Morocco, Portugal, and Spain will serve as co-host nations, but there will also be “three centenary celebration matches” held in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. FIFA announced this, plus Saudi Arabia as the 2034 host, in December 2024.
This World Cup has been hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the first time with three host nations, and the final four matches will happen in the U.S.
France and Spain’s semifinal match will take place in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, July 14, followed by Argentina and England’s semifinal match in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15. The third-place match is set for July 18 in Miami before the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
