FIFA is weighing plans to balloon the men’s World Cup to 64 teams, a move that would nearly double the tournament’s traditional size and raise familiar questions about whether bigger necessarily means better.
The expansion could arrive as early as the 2030 centenary edition, though 2038 appears to be the more realistic target.
From 32 to 48 to… 64
The World Cup hasn’t even played its first 48-team tournament yet. The 2026 edition, set to take place across the US, Mexico, and Canada, will be the first to feature 48 nations, up from the 32-team format that’s been standard since 1998. And FIFA is already shopping for the next upgrade.
The 64-team proposal was floated by CONMEBOL, South American football’s governing body, back in March 2025. The pitch tied the expansion to the 2030 World Cup, which marks 100 years since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay.
