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World Cup
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is eyeing a radical expansion of the World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament, citing Cape Verde's stunning run as proof that global football has the depth to go bigger. But critics argue more teams would only dilute the competition.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is still being played out across North America, and yet FIFA President Gianni Infantino is already looking beyond this tournament with a proposal that could reshape international football forever. A 64-team World Cup. Let that sink in.
Infantino believes the expanded 48-team format currently in use has proven there is enough quality across the globe to justify going even bigger. He confirmed that the matter will be examined in relevant FIFA committees once the 2026 tournament wraps up. Whether you love the idea or loathe it, this is no longer a fringe conversation. It is heading straight for the boardroom.
If you want to understand why Infantino feels emboldened, look no further than Cape Verde. The tiny island nation has been the feel-good story of this World Cup, drawing with both Spain and Uruguay in the group stage before advancing to the last 32, where they eventually ran into Argentina. Cape Verde's run is precisely the kind of narrative FIFA loves to champion: the underdog with nothing to lose, punching well above its weight on the grandest stage.
Infantino has been vocal about his belief that every nation should have the chance to dream of World Cup participation. His argument is straightforward: if smaller countries are never given opportunities, they will lack the motivation to develop. It is a compelling philosophical point, even if the practical implications are far more complicated.
For every Cape Verde, though, there is a cautionary tale. Several smaller teams at this World Cup, including Haiti, Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Uzbekistan, and Panama, failed to earn a single point in the group stages. Zero. That is the reality that critics of further expansion keep pointing to, and it is hard to ignore.
The central criticism is simple but devastating: adding more teams devalues the qualification process and dilutes the quality of the finals. If the current 48-team format already produced multiple pointless campaigns, what would a 64-team edition look like? Would fans and broadcasters genuinely tune in for even more lopsided group-stage fixtures?
The 64-team proposal is not just an Infantino pet project. It has gained significant traction thanks to Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso, whose initial push was quickly backed by CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez. Dominguez has been openly enthusiastic about a larger 2030 tournament, describing it as his dream and claiming such an expansion would "unite the world."
That kind of rhetoric plays well in the halls of FIFA, where universality is treated as a core value. But it also raises logistical questions about hosting. The World Cup was a 32-team tournament from 1998 all the way through to 2022. The jump to 48 teams for 2026 was already a seismic shift. Going to 64 would require even more venues, more infrastructure, and likely more host nations to share the burden.
There is an added layer of significance here. The 2030 edition will mark the 100th anniversary of the very first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930. That milestone gives FIFA an emotional hook to justify bold moves, and Infantino has never been one to shy away from grand gestures on the global stage.
Whether the 64-team format arrives in time for 2030 or is pencilled in for a later edition, the direction of travel seems clear. Infantino wants a World Cup that belongs to everyone. Critics want a World Cup that means something. Finding the balance between those two positions will define the next chapter of the tournament's history.
From a betting perspective, a 64-team World Cup would transform how we think about group-stage markets. More teams means more matches, more volatility, and potentially more value in spotting mismatches. For now, though, the focus remains on the action unfolding at the 2026 tournament, where every result carries weight and underdogs like Cape Verde have already proven that surprises are always possible.
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Christopher
