How a 64-team World Cup could transform football’s economics
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is considering expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, a move that could significantly alter the sport's financial structure. The proposal faces opposition from major confederations like UEFA, who fear it will diminish the value of qualifying tournaments.
Why it matters
Expansion would centralize financial power within FIFA and fundamentally change the economic landscape of international football.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the cohosts of the 2030 edition, but we await confirmation of 48 or 64 competitors.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info King Felipe VI of Spain, whose country is a cohost of the 2030 World Cup, appears with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 2022 tournament in Qatar [File: Dylan Martinez/Reuters] By Reuters Published On 21 Jul 2026 21 Jul 2026 The first 48-team World Cup has barely finished, but Gianni Infantino has already acknowledged the possibility that football’s biggest tournament could one day grow larger still, a move that could fundamentally alter the economics of the sport.
Speaking to Swiss television during the tournament, the FIFA president said a 64-team World Cup was among the ideas that could be examined once the final was over, reopening debate over how large the game’s showpiece event could realistically become.
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