How a 64-Team World Cup Could Transform Soccer's Economics
Infantino says a larger format could give more countries access but would add 24 matches and intensify concerns over costs and scheduling, officials said.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino acknowledged the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams while speaking to Swiss television during the current tournament, reopening debate over the competition's future scale.
- The 2026 tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States marked the first expansion beyond the traditional 32-team format, introducing 48 nations and 104 matches over more than five weeks.
- A 64-team format would comprise 128 matches—24 more than 2026—while French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo noted Les Bleus required semi-final advancement to avoid losses at this year's tournament.
- Expansion would strain the international calendar and pressure domestic leagues aligned with Europe's August-to-May season; Japan's J-League and U.S. Major League Soccer plan similar schedule shifts from next year.
- Saudi Arabia faces significant scheduling questions for the 2034 tournament it will host alone, while critics argue a 64-team event could reduce regional qualifier value and increase confederations' financial dependency on FIFA.
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FIFA told World Cup plans would kill football as Gianni Infantino left red-faced
Plans to potentially expand the World Cup to 64 teams in the future have been heavily criticised with the chief of La Liga now taking aim at Gianni Infantino after this summer's tournament
The first 48-selection World Cup has barely ended, but Fifa president Gianni Infantino has already admitted the possibility that the biggest global football tournament can, one day, grow even more, a change that can profoundly change the economy of sport. In an interview with the Swiss press during the tournament, Infantino said that a 64-selection World Cup is among the ideas that will be analyzed after the closing of the competition, reopening…
Could a 64-team World Cup put Asian football at FIFA's mercy?
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has acknowledged the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, a move that could significantly alter the sport's economics and logistics, despite opposition from major confederations like UEFA and AFC.
The 2026 World Cup is a tournament of contradictions: politics, hyper-expansion and branding dominate. Football goes down in a rush. FIFA sells records and steals something very valuable from the game.
This year's FIFA World Cup made history as the first to feature 48 teams. However, this may only be the beginning. FIFA President Gianni Infantino hasn't ruled out the possibility of seeing as many as 64 teams competing soon. "The entire world should be able to dream of a World Cup, not just Europe and South America," the head of the world federation emphasized.
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