FIFA President Gianni Infantino is considering increasing the number of teams in the World Cup to 64 participants, despite previous discussions about a 48-team format. He informed the Swiss publication Bluewin that the decision to expand the men's tournament to 64 teams before the 2030 World Cup final will be subject to discussion after the current tournament concludes.
According to The Guardian, Infantino stated that this idea 'is undoubtedly an issue that will be reviewed and discussed' by the relevant FIFA committees. He justified this by saying that the World Cup should be held 'for the whole world,' not just for Europe and South America, emphasizing the principle of fairness.
The initial proposal to move to 64 teams was put forward by Uruguayan federation president Ignacio Alonso at a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025. This initiative was later supported by CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez, who called it his 'dream.' Thus, this proposal originating from South America is now being considered by Infantino.
For Bafana fans, the discussion within the FIFA structure is of significant interest, as a larger number of countries means more opportunities to qualify for the tournament, even if it does not guarantee automatic participation for South Africa. Al Jazeera notes that the current tournament became the first men's World Cup with 48 teams, following the 32-team format used from 1998 to 2022. Infantino called the new format an 'enormous success,' noting that smaller nations have started playing a more significant role.
He quoted statistics, stating that 'nine out of ten African teams made it to the playoff stage,' compared to five African teams at the previous World Cup.
A potential transition to 64 teams will almost certainly require a new discussion on the distribution of spots among continents, although FIFA has not yet announced the format, slot division, voting date, or guarantees for Africa. One of the discussed options suggests 16 groups of four teams, with the top two advancing to a 32-match playoff stage. This format could increase the total number of tournament matches to 128, compared to 104 matches in the 48-team format.
The 2030 World Cup already has several features: the main host countries are Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, while matches will take place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to commemorate the centenary of the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. Nevertheless, FIFA has not yet approved the 64-team plan, and the governing body has not set a deadline for the decision; any format change requires approval from the FIFA Council.
However, some leaders have expressed doubts: UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin called the proposal a 'bad idea,' and AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned that opening the doors too widely could lead to 'chaos.' CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani also commented, stating that the idea 'does not seem right' and could harm the 'broader football ecosystem.'
