FIFA President Gianni Infantino has indicated that world football's governing body is prepared to examine the possibility of expanding the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams, following what he described as the success of the tournament's current 48-team format.
Speaking to Swiss media platform Blue News, Infantino said discussions on a potential expansion would be taken up by FIFA's decision-making bodies after the conclusion of the ongoing World Cup.
The FIFA chief maintained that the competition should serve as a platform for countries from all regions of the world and not be limited to football's traditional powerhouses.
According to him, increasing the number of participating nations would strengthen the global development of the game by giving emerging football countries a realistic opportunity to compete on the biggest stage.
"That's definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," Infantino said.
He argued that nations with less-established football programmes need the prospect of World Cup qualification to drive investment and improvement.
"When organising a World Cup, it's important to organise it for the whole world—not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup," he said.
Infantino noted that football standards have improved significantly across continents, making a case for broader representation at future tournaments.
The 2026 World Cup, currently being staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first edition to feature 48 teams after FIFA approved an expansion from the previous 32-team structure.
Defending the decision, Infantino said the enlarged tournament has delivered positive results both in terms of competitiveness and global representation.
He pointed to the performance of African countries as one of the strongest indicators of the benefits of expansion.
"It's been a huge success with 48 teams. Every team played at a high level," he said.
The FIFA president noted that teams from every confederation managed to score goals and earn points during the competition, while African nations made unprecedented progress in the tournament.
"Nine out of ten African teams reached the knockout stage. At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams—to give them this opportunity to participate," he added.
Although no formal proposal has yet been adopted, a move to a 64-team World Cup would further increase the number of participating nations and could significantly reshape the tournament's format, qualification process and hosting requirements.
Any such change would likely be considered ahead of future editions of the competition, including the 2030 World Cup.
The 2030 tournament will be a landmark edition marking 100 years since the inaugural World Cup. Spain, Portugal and Morocco will serve as the principal hosts, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage selected matches as part of the centenary celebrations.
Uruguay hosted the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, making its involvement in the anniversary tournament symbolic of the competition's historic roots.
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