---
title: "After 2026: Infantino Announces Expansion of the World Cup to 64 Teams"
description: "FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams after the 2026 tournament. The head of the organization believes this will give small countries a chance and raise the global level of football. 🌍⚽ #FIFA #WorldCup #Infantino"
date: 2026-07-20T10:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/infantino-announces-expansion-of-the-world-cup-to-64-teams
tags: [fifa, infantino, world-cup-2026, football, mexico-city]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# After 2026: Infantino Announces Expansion of the World Cup to 64 Teams

![Golden FIFA logo above Mexico City stadium with flags of 2026 World Cup host nations and banners reading 'FIFA World Cup 2026' — symbolizing the upcoming expansion to 64 teams announced by Infantino](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/20/infantino-announced-expansion-of-the-world-cup-to-64-teams/infantino-announced-expansion-of-the-world-cup-to-64-teams-1.webp)

World football is on the verge of a new major transformation. The President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), Gianni Infantino, stated that after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup, the organization plans to discuss increasing the number of participating teams to 64. This decision will be a logical continuation of the reforms that have already transformed the World Cup in recent years.

### Success of the 48-Team Format

The current tournament format, featuring 48 teams, has already been deemed successful by FIFA leadership. However, Infantino is convinced that the potential for growth has not yet been exhausted. In organizing the World Cup, it is important to ensure its accessibility to the entire world, not just for the traditional football powers of Europe and South America.

According to the head of the organization, every country has the right to dream of participating in the world's premier tournament. Infantino notes that the quality of teams around the world is becoming higher. If small countries are not given a chance to participate in the World Cup, they will not have the opportunity to demonstrate their level and develop.

### Format Evolution: From 13 to 48 Teams

The history of the World Cup is full of transformations. The first tournament, held in 1930, gathered only 13 teams. In 1934, the number of participants grew to 16, and in 1938, to 15. The post-war tournament of 1950 also took place with the participation of 13 teams.

A tectonic shift occurred in 1954, when the participation of 16 teams was approved. This format remained unchanged for seven tournaments until the World Cup was expanded to 24 participants in 1982. The next major change happened in 1998 in France: for the first time in history, 32 teams played in the tournament. This format became familiar to fans and lasted until today.

The 2026 World Cup, which will be held in Canada, the USA, and Mexico, became the first in history with the participation of 48 teams. Now, looking at the success of this experiment, FIFA is considering the possibility of a new step — expanding to 64 participants. This decision could radically change the landscape of world football, giving a chance to an even greater number of countries to realize their dream of performing on the planet's main stage.