FIFA, Infantino, test 64-team World Cup for the tournament 2030 | World Cup 2026 news

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is considering the idea of ​​adding 16 countries ahead of the World Cup in four years.

FIFA officials have considered the possibility of expanding the World Cup with 16 more teams before the 2030 event, President Gianni Infantino said in an interview.

Infantino told Bluewin, a Swiss journalist, that the expansion from 48 to 64 teams could make sense.

“It is a matter that will be reviewed and discussed in the appropriate committees after the World Cup,” Bluewin said.

“When organizing the World Cup, it is important to organize it worldwide – not only in Europe and South America – but in the whole world. Every country should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that the level of the teams is very high – and it is rising, all over the world. If you do not give the opportunity to small countries to participate in the World Cup.”

The World Cup field consisted of 32 teams from 1998 to 2022. The latest edition of 2026 is the first with 48 teams.

Four groups – Argentina, England, France and Spain – stay in the race. The final two games are all that remain from the original series of 104 games played across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Infantino said he considers the 48-team group to be “very successful”.

“Every team played—at a high level. Teams from every continent scored goals and got at least one point,” he said. “Nine out of 10 African teams made it to the boxing ring. At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa.

The 2030 Games will be a trial run for many countries.

The first three games are to be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – one in each country – with the remaining games in Morocco, Portugal and Spain. The size of the 64 teams would mean that the South American countries could each have one group of four teams, instead of playing one game.