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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that world football’s governing body will examine a proposal to expand the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams from the 2030 tournament, a move that could significantly increase Africa’s representation on football’s biggest stage.
If approved, the expansion would add 16 more teams to the competition, following the increase from 32 to 48 teams introduced for the 2026 World Cup.
Infantino disclosed this during an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, saying FIFA’s relevant committees would formally consider the proposal after the conclusion of the ongoing 2026 World Cup.
“It is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said.
The FIFA president defended the idea of expanding the tournament, insisting the World Cup should reflect football’s global reach rather than remain dominated by Europe and South America.
“The World Cup is for the whole world, not just Europe and South America.
“Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high — and it’s getting higher and higher all over the world.
“If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
An expansion to 64 teams would likely result in additional qualification places for each continental confederation. Africa, which is allocated 10 places under the current 48-team format, could receive more qualification slots if the proposal is adopted.
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Infantino also described the expanded 48-team format at the 2026 World Cup as a resounding success despite concerns raised before the tournament.
“The 48-team World Cup has been 100 per cent a success.”
The proposal was first tabled by Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso during a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025. It later gained the backing of CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez, who argued that a larger tournament in 2030 would create a unique global celebration of football.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be staged across six countries on three continents. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will host the opening matches, while Morocco, Portugal and Spain will stage the remainder of the tournament.
However, the proposal has divided opinion within world football.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has described a 64-team World Cup as “a bad idea”, arguing that it would dilute the quality of both the tournament and the European qualifying competition.
CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has also questioned the plan, saying further expansion is “not a great idea” for the global game.
Should FIFA approve the proposal, more than a quarter of its 210 member associations would qualify for the World Cup, making the 2030 edition the largest tournament in the competition’s history.
