The world's four highest-ranked teams have reached the World Cup semifinals, underlining the dominance of football's traditional powers. Yet two of the planet's biggest nations, China and India, remain absent despite the tournament's expansion to 48 teams. If FIFA eventually increases the field to 64 nations, other populous countries may finally have a realistic path to football's biggest stage.
Home to a combined 2.89 billion people, China and India boast millions of passionate football fans, but neither has established itself on the global stage. China has qualified for the men's World Cup only once, in 2002, when it lost all three group-stage matches without scoring a goal. Despite years of heavy investment in the sport, the country's domestic league has struggled to sustain its growth.
India, where cricket dominates the sporting landscape and field hockey also enjoy widespread popularity, has never qualified for a men's World Cup. An expanded 64-team tournament could give countries like India and China, along with other emerging football nations, a greater opportunity to compete on the sport's biggest stage.
Population does not translate into footballing success, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino has offered hope that countries such as India and China could reach the 2030 or 2034 World Cup if the tournament expands to 64 teams.
