ZURICH, July 13. /Dunyo IA/. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the organization will consider expanding the World Cup to 64 national teams, starting with the 2030 tournament, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing ESPN.

“When you organize a World Cup, it’s important that you organize it for the whole world. It’s not just Europe and South America, but the entire world, effectively. Every nation should be able to dream of taking part in the World Cup,” he said.

According to Gianni Infantino, the level of national teams around the world continues to grow, and the lack of opportunities to participate in the World Cup may reduce the incentive for smaller football nations to develop.

The statement came after the first-ever World Cup featuring 48 teams, which, according to him, exceeded expectations in terms of competitiveness and unpredictability.

Among the possible advantages of expansion are a simpler group-stage structure and increased chances for national teams from countries that have rarely qualified for the World Cup. At the same time, experts warn about possible disadvantages, including increased workload on players, a larger number of matches, and a decline in the tournament’s status.

With a 64-team format, the number of group-stage matches could increase from 72 to 96, and hosting the tournament would require more stadiums and large-scale infrastructure. This could limit the number of countries capable of hosting the World Cup independently. FIFA has previously expanded the number of participants in the tournament – from 16 to 24 teams in 1982, to 32 in 1998, and to 48 in 2026. –

Questions have also emerged regarding attendance at matches in future matches. Despite the participation of Lionel Messi, empty seats remained at the Argentina–Switzerland quarterfinal match at the “Arrowhead” stadium in the United States. Ticket prices for quarterfinal matches also fell on the secondary market – from $2,950 to around $1,200 after Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, were eliminated from the tournament.

It should be recalled that an investigation may be launched into FIFA President Gianni Infantino over the cancellation of a suspension imposed on a U.S. national team forward following a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump.