FIFA president Gianni Infantino says the possibility of expanding the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams will be examined after the current tournament.
Speaking to Swiss outlet Bluewin, Infantino said: “That’s definitely an issue that will be examined after this World Cup.”
He stressed that the World Cup should be a truly global competition, adding: “When organizing a World Cup, it’s important to organize it for the whole world — not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world.”
Infantino also argued that every nation should have the opportunity to dream of qualifying for the tournament, pointing to the rising standard of international football worldwide.
“You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high — and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world,” he said.
He concluded by emphasizing that giving smaller nations a chance to compete is essential for the sport’s development: “If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
However, Infantino did not announce any final decision on expanding the tournament, only confirming that the proposal will be reviewed after the current World Cup.
