Overview
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed Sunday that the federation will formally study expanding the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 teams and that the proposal will be debated by FIFA’s committees after the 2026 tournament.
- The 64‑team idea was first tabled by Uruguayan official Ignacio Alonso in March 2025 and has won public backing from CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez as a way to widen representation.
- A commonly circulated format would use 16 groups of four teams, advance the top two from each group, eliminate the best‑third qualifiers and raise group‑stage matches from 72 to 96.
- UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani have publicly opposed the plan, warning it could strain logistics, congest the calendar and dilute competitive quality.
- If approved the change could force renegotiation of the six‑country 2030 hosting plan so Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay might host full group blocks, and it could give smaller federations stronger incentives and more revenue from World Cup participation.