Infantino pushes 64-team World Cup for 2030 amid global debate

FIFA president Gianni Infantino says the first 48‑team World Cup is drawing to a close and he is already laying the groundwork for a 64‑team tournament in 2030. He made the comments in an interview with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, stressing the need to think beyond the current format. Infantino told Blue Sport that the issue will be examined and discussed by the relevant committees after the current World Cup ends. “That’s definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” he said, according to the translation. He added that a World Cup must serve the whole world, not just Europe and South America, and that every nation should be allowed to dream of participation. “When organizing a World Cup, it’s important to organize it for the whole world—not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world,” he explained. The 2030 edition will be co‑hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco, while first‑round matches will be staged in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark the centenary of the inaugural tournament. This will spread games across six countries on three continents.

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The current tournament is at the final four following Saturday’s quarter‑finals, the first World Cup in North America to feature 48 teams and 104 games. Earlier editions, such as the 1998 France tournament with 32 teams, are referenced as part of the competition’s evolution. Infantino highlighted the event’s success, noting packed stands and high TV ratings from Group play through the knockout stages, and the overall rise in quality across all continents. Critics like UEFA president and FIFA vice‑president Aleksander Čeferin, speaking in Belgrade, Serbia, called the proposal a bad idea, comparing it to debates over NCAA tournament and College Football Playoff expansion in the U.S. “I think it is a bad idea,” he told reporters, as reported by . Infantino sees the 2030 celebration as an opportune moment to consider further expansion, even as the debate continues among officials and fans worldwide.