FIFA to Study Proposal for 64-Nation World Cup

FIFA says it will study a proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams, a move that could make the tournament the biggest in football history just four years after the competition grew to 48 teams.

The governing body confirmed the proposal after it was raised during a FIFA Council meeting.

Speaking during a meeting of the body, Infantino said FIFA was willing to examine the idea even though the expanded 48-team format is only being used for the first time this year.

"We have had discussions about expanding to 64 teams,” said Infantino.

“The matter was presented to the FIFA Council.

"Every proposal deserves to be analysed."

A FIFA spokesperson said the idea "was spontaneously raised by a FIFA Council member" and "was acknowledged as FIFA has a duty to analyse any proposal from one of its Council members."

The council member in question has been revealed to be Uruguay's Ignacio Alonso, who wants a bigger tournament to mark the centenary of the World Cup.

The 2030 tournament will be mainly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage one opening match to celebrate 100 years since the first World Cup in Uruguay in 1930.

If approved, the competition would grow from the 48-team format used at the 2026 World Cup to 64 teams.

That would increase the number of participating nations to almost one-third of FIFA's 211 member associations and could push the number of matches to 128 from 104.

The idea has since been touted by fans, pundits and some football figures long before FIFA's admission of having received such a proposal, and has already sparked debate across world football.

Supporters believe a larger tournament would give more countries the chance to play on football's biggest stage, especially teams from Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Critics, however, argue that it would create major scheduling and travel challenges, reduce the value of qualifying matches and place an even heavier workload on players.

FIFA has yet to indicate when a final decision will be made.

The organisation said only that it would review the proposal as part of its normal decision-making process.