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FIFA to examine 64-team World Cup expansion before 2030 tournament
Posted on 7/12/26 at 7:59 am
Posted on 7/12/26 at 7:59 am
quote:
Gianni Infantino has said FIFA will examine expanding the World Cup by a further 16 nations to a 64-team tournament ahead of its next edition in 2030.
The competition was expanded to a 48-team format for the 2026 finals, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, an increase from the 32-nation version that ran from 1998 through to 2022.
quote:
“It (a 64-team tournament) is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” Infantino said in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin. FIFA’s president reiterated that the tournament was “for the whole world, not just Europe and South America”.
He continued: “Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high—and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world.
“If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
The 56-year-old also said expanding the World Cup to 48 teams for this edition was “100 percent a success”. The expansion has faced criticism from participating nations, with Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz saying after the group stages that it has devalued the qualification process and turned the tournament into something “vulgar and ordinary.”
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Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:01 am to RLDSC FAN
This would be less than awesome.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:22 am to RLDSC FAN
I know they're looking at how those criticizing going to 48 teams were wrong, but 64 is just too fricking many.
This post was edited on 7/13/26 at 7:46 am
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:46 am to udtiger
48 teams wasn't a bad idea but I would prefer no 3rd place teams advancing. That's the only way 64 teams make sense. While group of death sounds cool I hate it because a top team will be eliminated.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 8:53 am to RLDSC FAN
For any tournament, the bottom team should at least have some chance to win it all. 64 is ridiculous. Eventually CFB will have 64. Prepare yourself for it.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:03 am to RLDSC FAN
64 with only top 2 advancing would be electric.
It makes qualifying pointless, besides trying to be a pot 1 team
It makes qualifying pointless, besides trying to be a pot 1 team
Posted on 7/12/26 at 9:41 am to RLDSC FAN
Cheers lads now the NCAA committee will push for a 128 team bracket
Posted on 7/12/26 at 12:19 pm to RLDSC FAN
Even if they expand to 64 China and India probably still wouldn’t qualify 
Hell who wouldn’t try to get 2.5 billion more people to watch their sport?
Hell who wouldn’t try to get 2.5 billion more people to watch their sport?
Posted on 7/12/26 at 12:25 pm to Bestbank Tiger
quote:
This would be less than awesome.
It would be fine.
You would still have a round of 32, but then we go back to only having the top two teams advance in each group, which makes that part more competitive again.
I have no problem with expanding the "World" Cup as long as the competition stays competitive.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 12:28 pm to RLDSC FAN
I’m all for more soccer. Add it and remove the “hydration breaks” and we’re good to go.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 1:08 pm to RLDSC FAN
Pointless. Even after expanding to 32 teams, the top 4 pre-tournament favorites all made it to the final four. Boooring
Posted on 7/12/26 at 1:17 pm to Kansas City King
One team has a chance to repeat as world champions, something that hasn’t been done in 64 years.
One team in the semifinals hasn’t won a World Cup in 60 years.
And that’s just one side of the bracket.
Yeah, super boring.
One team in the semifinals hasn’t won a World Cup in 60 years.
And that’s just one side of the bracket.
Yeah, super boring.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 1:30 pm to Broski
quote:
It would be fine.
You would still have a round of 32, but then we go back to only having the top two teams advance in each group, which makes that part more competitive again.
I have no problem with expanding the "World" Cup as long as the competition stays competitive.
Yeah, adding more group stage matches and getting rid of the 3rd place teams advancing would be net positive.
Maybe it makes the group stage a bit more of a foregone conclusion for the top teams but I could see many more interesting matches with smaller teams playing to get into the 2nd place spots.
Probably takes a little drama out of Euro qualifiers where teams that could easily advance at least as far as Switzerland did this year always miss the cut but having a few more European teams may actually make the knockouts better some years.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 1:33 pm to RLDSC FAN
quote:
If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
That's an incredibly silly thing to say right after 2 of the smallest countries on the planet just participated in the current format of the tournament.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 1:38 pm to Kansas City King
quote:
the top 4 pre-tournament favorites all made it to the final four. Boooring
If we're worried about watering down the product, then in reality, the field needs to be condensed to 8.
64 is fine because the knockouts would be exactly the same as they are now.
And if it means we get more Cape Verde vs Jordan thrillers that don't actually matter in the grand scheme of things in terms of deciding who wins the whole tournament, I'm ok with that.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 2:01 pm to RLDSC FAN
I'm sure Italy will find a way to be #65.
Posted on 7/12/26 at 2:48 pm to USAFTiger42
I’m a big fan. Will never see any superstars missing from the WC again.
Top 2 teams from each group will go into the R32. I knew we’d be moving to 64 teams quickly with the success of the 48 team tournament. It makes too much sense from a fan point of view with more games and money standpoint. Should never be more than 64 though
quote:in a 64 team tournament there will be the same amount of games for each team and no third place teams will advance
48 teams wasn't a bad idea but I would prefer no 3rd place teams advancing
Top 2 teams from each group will go into the R32. I knew we’d be moving to 64 teams quickly with the success of the 48 team tournament. It makes too much sense from a fan point of view with more games and money standpoint. Should never be more than 64 though
Posted on 7/13/26 at 12:27 pm to Who_Dat_Tiger
Posted on 7/13/26 at 2:01 pm to RLDSC FAN
Ah so this is when FIFA takes the success of a US-based tournament and tries to act like any other country on earth could do it.
Or maybe this is when they expand the shared hosting idea even more. Either way, I don't think it's a good idea. It's already watered down enough.
Or maybe this is when they expand the shared hosting idea even more. Either way, I don't think it's a good idea. It's already watered down enough.
Posted on 7/13/26 at 2:26 pm to RLDSC FAN
I don't see how Portugal and Spain have the infrastructure to pull that off
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