Infantino: We will consider further expansion of the World Cup

"It is important that when you organize a World Cup, you do it for the whole world, not just for Europe and South America, but for all continents," Infantino said.

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Infantino, Photo: Reuters
Infantino, Photo: Reuters
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

The President of the International Football Federation (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, has stated that after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, the possibility of further expanding the number of participants in the final tournament will be considered.

This year's World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States brought together 48 national teams for the first time, a decision that drew much criticism ahead of the tournament, but was hardly discussed after the competition began on June 11th.

"These are all questions that we will consider after the World Cup," Infantino told Swiss television station Blue Sport.

The head of FIFA did not want to talk about details, but he emphasized that the goal of organizing the World Cup is to make it accessible to the entire world.

"It is important that when you organize a World Cup, you do it for the whole world, not just for Europe and South America, but for all continents. Every country should have the right to dream of qualifying for the World Cup. The quality of national teams is extremely high and is constantly growing around the world," said Infantino.

He added that smaller football nations should be given the opportunity to participate in the biggest competition.

"If you don't give smaller countries a chance to play in the World Cup, they won't have the incentive to continue to progress," the Fifa president said.

Infantino assessed that the 48-team format had proven successful.

"All teams played at a high level. Teams from all continents scored goals and won points. Nine out of ten African teams advanced to the knockout stage, while only five did at the previous World Cup. This shows how important it is to include as many teams as possible and give them the opportunity to participate," he said.

The number of participating teams in the World Cup has increased from 24 to 32 in 1998, and to 48 as of this year's tournament. The next World Cup in 2030 will be organized by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, while the host of the 2034 tournament will be Saudi Arabia.

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