FIFA is considering expanding the men's FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, with detailed discussions expected after the ongoing 2026 tournament.
The proposal for a larger tournament was first raised last year, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the success of the expanded 48-team format has prompted the governing body to explore how a 64-team World Cup could work.
"That's definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, adding that the tournament should be "for the whole world."
He said the World Cup should not only serve Europe and South America but also provide opportunities for nations from every continent.
"When organising a World Cup, it's important to organise it for the whole world—not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup."
Infantino argued that expanding the tournament would encourage the development of football in smaller nations.
"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 FIFA president also described the first 48-team World Cup as "a huge success," pointing to the strong performance of African teams, with nine of the 10 representatives progressing to the knockout stage.
"At the last World Cup, there were only five teams from Africa. That just goes to show how important it is to include all teams—to give them this opportunity to participate," he said.