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FIFA President Gianni Infantino is reportedly eyeing another expansion of the World Cup, with hopes of seeing 64 nations participate in the tournament in the near future. He stated that the idea should "definitely" be considered after the current competition.
The current edition of the World Cup features 48 teams for the first time, with eight third-placed teams advancing to a new Round of 32. An increase to 64 teams would not mean more matches per team and would reinstate the format where only the top two from each group progress. This would result in 16 groups of four teams.
"The whole world should be able to dream of the World Cup, not just Europe and South America," Infantino told the Swiss portal "Blue Sport."
Regarding the ongoing tournament in North America, the FIFA chief offered a positive assessment, despite earlier concerns about too many teams qualifying. "The expansion is a huge success. You can see that the quality of the teams overall is extremely high and is getting higher and higher all over the world," added the 56-year-old Infantino.
Due to the expansion, a record 104 matches are being played over five weeks this time around. A 64-team tournament would require 128 games. The 2030 World Cup is set to be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
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