Infantino fuels player burnout and quality fears with 64-team World Cup hint
Gianni Infantino has signalled that FIFA will examine a 64-team World Cup after the 2026 tournament, reigniting concerns over player workload, competition quality and the continued expansion of global football inventory.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said the governing body will examine the possibility of expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams, raising fresh concerns over player workload and the competitive quality of the tournament.The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is the first to feature 48 teams, up from the 32-team model used between 1998 and 2022.Infantino said: “This is certainly an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup.”The proposal would represent another major increase in FIFA’s flagship property and could take the tournament to 128 matches, double the number staged under the 32-team format.The current 48-team edition already includes 104 matches, adding more broadcast inventory, ticketing opportunities and sponsorship value for FIFA and its commercial partners.Infantino defended the principle of further expansion by arguing that more countries should have access to the World Cup pathway.He added: “When you organise a World Cup, it's important that you organise 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.”The 64-team idea was first advanced by CONMEBOL in 2025 as part of discussions around the 2030 World Cup, which will mark the centenary of the tournament.That edition is due to be staged across Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with opening matches in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.Infantino also argued that tournament access can support development in smaller football markets.He said: “We can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it's getting higher and higher everywhere in the world. If you don't give smaller countries the chance to participate in the World Cup, they also lose the incentive to keep improving.”The proposal has already faced resistance from senior football executives.Concacaf president Victor Montagliani said in April that he did not believe a 64-team World Cup was right for the tournament or the wider football ecosystem, including national teams, clubs, leagues and players.UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has also described the idea as “a bad idea."Any further expansion would intensify the debate over player burnout, with FIFA already under pressure from unions and leagues over the growth of international and club competitions.A 64-team format would increase the commercial scale of the World Cup but risks diluting quality and placing further strain on a calendar already stretched by expanded UEFA competitions, the enlarged Club World Cup and longer international tournaments.