Just when you thought the World Cup couldn't get any bigger, FIFA is apparently saying, "Hold my beer." President Gianni Infantino has floated the idea of expanding the global football fiesta to a whopping 64 teams for the 2030 tournament.
Yes, you read that correctly. That's 16 more nations than the already-expanded 48-team format set to debut in 2026. Because, apparently, there's always room for more football.
Infantino, in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, framed this as a move to make the World Cup truly global. His reasoning? "Organizing the World Cup should involve the entire world, not just Europe and South America." He wants every nation to have a shot at the dream, which sounds noble, if also logistically terrifying.
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His argument hinges on the idea that football quality is improving globally. Giving smaller countries a taste of the World Cup, he suggests, encourages them to level up their game. And to be fair, the last 48-team World Cup was, by his measure, a "huge success." Teams from every continent scored goals and earned points, with nine out of ten African teams making it to the knockout stage.
Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying for anyone trying to plan a bracket. Or, you know, a flight schedule.
The 2030 tournament is already a geographical marvel, spanning three continents. The opening matches are slated for Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, with the bulk of the games in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. If the 64-team expansion goes through, those South American hosts could each get a four-team group, rather than just a single match.
Because nothing says "global unity" like a tournament that practically requires a private jet and a small army of travel agents. It's an ambitious vision, to say the least. And one that promises even more underdog stories, more upsets, and significantly more football to consume. Your couch is ready.
