FIFA president Gianni Infantino is somehow still clinging to his job but a consultation process is still taking place over the possible expansion of the World Cup in 203007:00, 02 Aug 2026The news - the predictable news - that FIFA has already begun a consultation process ahead of making a decision about expanding the World Cup to include 64 teams was met not only with widespread incredulity but with utter cynicism.‌And there was one of the many fundamental problems with Gianni Infantino’s heinous, thankfully ill-fated scheme to sell off a chunk of the World Cup to billionaire cronies.‌It meant everything suggested by FIFA will feel rotten. This expansion idea was immediately seen, certainly in Europe, as just another ruse to make more money for FIFA and for the private investors that Infantino wanted to ingratiate himself with - and make fortunes from. No-one could have been blamed for looking at it from that point of view.‌The secret of comedy is timing, but there was nothing funny about FIFA saying they are, essentially, rushing through their consultation period - a decision will be made as soon as August 14 - just a couple of days after Infantino’s plot to raise $20billion by auctioning off rights packages to the World Cup was revealed. Bigger World Cup, more money for those private investor mates that, mercifully, will now not be directly involved in the tournament.No wonder the news that the prospect of a 64-team World Cup is being accelerated by FIFA fat-cats was met with almost complete scorn. That is where power-crazed, money-obsessed Infantino has taken FIFA.Yet would a 64-team World Cup be that bad? If the extra revenue was not going to private investors - and that prospect has been summarily headed off by UEFA’s threat of a boycott - would a 64-team World Cup be one of FIFA’s worst offences? No.‌Hands up, I was against the tournament being expanded to 48 from 32 teams but was soon converted once Cape Verde started doing their stuff. I was converted when Curacao equalised against Germany, even though they were hammered 7-1.I was converted by the entertainment provided by the group stages. I was converted by the joy of every nation’s set of fans.‌The only downside I could find was that the third games in the group stages were open to contrivance. That is because whittling 48 teams down to 32 for the knockout stages involves having eight third-placed finishers as qualifiers.As it happened, there was no evidence of contrivance, but quite simply, 64 into 32 goes better. Sixteen groups of four, top two in each group qualify. Easy.‌The next World Cup in 2030 - the centenary edition - is being staged in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay hosting opening-round matches. There will be enough venues to accommodate 64 teams.As UEFA and its president Aleksander Ceferin are now at permanent odds with FIFA and Infantino, they might not like the idea of an expansion to 64 teams. They will probably oppose it.Yet the Euros is a 24-team competition, meaning 43.63 per cent of its member nations qualify for the finals. A 64-team World Cup would mean 30.34 per cent of FIFA member nations would qualify.‌Those of us who were originally in the camp that thought the World Cup should be for the elite only have long lost the argument. It turns out it was not a bad one to lose. Did you begrudge any of the teams at the 2026 World Cup their time in the sun?And now it is a 48-team tournament - there will be no consultation process about any possible reduction in competitors - what is an extra 16 teams between friends? Italy might even qualify.Article continues belowUnderstandably, an expansion would be negatively linked with Infantino’s scheming. But he will be long gone by then, surely. And the 64 teams who compete at the 2030 World Cup can enjoy themselves, untainted by his presidency and private ownership.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.