FIFA is thinking about having a 64-team World Cup in 2030 to celebrate 100 years of the tournament. This would be another expansion after the upcoming 48-team format.
Ignacio Alonso from Uruguay suggested this idea at a recent FIFA meeting. While many were surprised, FIFA president Gianni Infantino showed interest and wants to study it further.
This proposal is likely to face opposition, similar to the idea of holding the World Cup every two years. A committee previously looked into that idea but eventually stopped working on it.
A 64-team World Cup could create logistical problems, especially since the 2030 tournament is already set to be held in six countries across three continents: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. There are also questions about the quality of the competition with so many teams, potentially making qualifying rounds less important.
Infantino’s Expansion Ideas
The men’s World Cup had 32 teams from 1998 to 2022. Infantino supported expanding it to 48 teams, despite concerns about logistics and competition quality.
The 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will be the first with 48 teams. It will last 39 days, longer than before, and have 104 matches instead of 64.
Other competitions have also grown under Infantino. The Women’s World Cup increased from 16 teams in 2011 to 32 in 2023. The men’s Club World Cup is also changing to a 32-team tournament every four years. Some expansions are more popular than others. While expanding the Women’s World Cup is seen as good for women’s soccer growth, the Club World Cup changes are seen as adding more pressure to players’ schedules.
