Infantino abandons the idea of expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams

Abandoning the tournament expansion

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has decided not to put forward a proposal to increase the number of participants at the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams. Citing its sources, this was reported by The Times. According to the publication, Infantino informed the leaders of the continental football confederations that even if he is re-elected for a new term, he will not support a further increase in the number of participants in the World Cup and the Club World Cup.

From idea to rejection

Earlier, Infantino described the participation of 48 teams in the 2026 World Cup as a successful experience, and in an interview with Blue Sport on 11 July he said that the possibility of expanding the 2030 tournament to 64 teams should be considered. He noted that all the teams had shown a high level, every confederation had scored goals and earned points, and nine of the ten African teams had advanced to the knockout stage, compared with five at the previous World Cup. The proposal for a 64-team tournament was originally put forward by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), which tied the initiative to the centenary of the World Cup in 2030.

Political context

According to The Times, through the tournament expansion Infantino sought to retain the support of representatives of various national associations ahead of his re-election as FIFA president, but the proposal met with opposition from UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The publication also noted that Infantino had been criticised over a plan to sell the World Cup's commercial rights to private investors, which intensified disputes about trust in FIFA's leadership. Infantino has headed FIFA since 2016; the next presidential election is scheduled for March 2027 in Morocco.