FIFA president Gianni Infantino says expanding the World Cup to 64 teams will "definitely" be examined once the current tournament ends, reviving a proposal that appeared to be losing momentum only weeks ago.

His comments to Swiss outlet blue Sport mark the most positive he has sounded on the idea since reports in June suggested he privately harboured reservations about growing the competition beyond its current size.

Any change would affect the 2030 centenary tournament most directly, a competition already spanning six countries across two continents before the format has even been finalised.

Why Gianni Infantino Wants a 64-Team World Cup

When asked if expanding the tournament to 48 teams had been the right move, Infantino left no room for doubt. "Yes, 100 percent," he said, pointing to the fact that nine of the 10 African teams reached the knockout stage, compared with only five at the previous World Cup.

He then addressed the broader question directly. Referring to the proposal to expand the tournament to 64 teams, Infantino said: “That is certainly an issue that will be examined and discussed by the relevant committees after this World Cup.”

He framed the case in global terms rather than competitive ones. "It's important to organize it for the whole world, not just Europe and South America," he said, adding that "every nation should be allowed to dream of participating."

How Would A 64-Team World Cup Change The Format?

The change would do away with the current provision allowing eight third-placed teams to progress, with only the top two sides in each group advancing to the knockout stage. It would also significantly increase the number of matches.

The current 48-team format features 104 games over five weeks, while a 64-team tournament would require 128 to be completed.

Despite that increase, Infantino has maintained the number of games each qualifying team plays would stay the same, distributing the extra matches across more participating nations rather than longer individual runs.

Why FIFA's Stance on a 64-Team World Cup Has Changed

CONMEBOL first raised the proposal in March 2025, tying it specifically to the 2030 tournament marking a century since the inaugural World Cup.

Infantino sounded open to the idea two months later at FIFA's Congress in Paraguay, telling delegates "every idea is a good idea" when discussing how to mark the anniversary.

He struck a more cautious tone soon afterwards. Speaking in Mexico City ahead of the tournament opener, he joked that even a struggling Italy might qualify under an expanded format, stopping short of explicitly endorsing the proposal.

By June, French outlet RMC Sport reported Infantino privately held reservations about expanding past 48 teams, describing the proposal's momentum as fading inside FIFA. His latest comments mark a return to a more openly positive stance, although no formal decision has been taken at any stage of the debate.

What a 64-Team World Cup Would Mean for 2030

Expansion would carry outsized significance for South America specifically. All ten CONMEBOL nations, including Venezuela, which has never once qualified for a World Cup, would likely secure automatic places in a 64-team field.

Support for the idea is far from universal, however. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has previously dismissed the concept outright, calling a 64-team World Cup "a bad idea" when CONMEBOL's proposal first surfaced.

Accommodating so many extra matches within the tournament’s existing five-week window would further strain an event already spanning six host nations and two continents, while reviving the player-welfare concerns critics have raised since the proposal first surfaced.

Infantino's comments confirm that debate remains unresolved rather than settled. Any formal decision on the 2030 format still awaits committee discussion once the current tournament concludes.