Infantino backed away from the idea of expanding the World Cup: the number of teams will remain 48
According to The Times, the proposal to expand the competition has faced opposition from UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has decided not to push forward a proposal to increase the number of participants at the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64. The Times reported this, citing its sources.
According to the publication, Infantino has informed the heads of continental football confederations that even if he is re-elected to a new term as FIFA president, he will not support further increasing the number of participants in the World Cup and the Club World Cup.
Infantino had described the participation of 48 national teams at the 2026 World Cup as a successful experience and said that the possibility of expanding the 2030 tournament to 64 teams should also be considered. He spoke about this in an interview with Blue Sport on July 11.
The proposal to hold a tournament with 64 teams was initially put forward by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). The organization linked this initiative to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the World Cup in 2030.
According to The Times, by expanding the tournament, Infantino sought to maintain the support of representatives of various national football associations on the eve of his re-election as FIFA president. However, this proposal faced opposition from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Infantino has also faced criticism over a plan to sell the commercial rights of the World Cup to private investors. This initiative has intensified debates regarding trust in FIFA's leadership and the organization's governance.
Infantino has served as FIFA president since 2016. The next presidential election is planned to be held in March 2027 in Morocco.
