FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that the governing body will discuss expanding the World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament, which will be co-hosted by six nations. The proposal includes 16 groups of four teams, increasing group-stage matches from 72 to 96 and extending the tournament to roughly six weeks.
Any further expansion of the World Cup for 2030 - where six countries are set to host the tournament - will be discussed now the 2026 World Cup has finished.
A 64-team World Cup would create one heck of a group stage. There would have to be 16 groups of four teams, as 64 does not evenly divide into three. That means group stages would go up from 72 matches to 96.
If FIFA try to average 4.5 matches a day in a 64-team group stage, then the first part of the tournament would take three weeks. Given the round of 32 onwards in this World Cup needs another three weeks to complete, that would mean a six-week tournament.
A 64-team tournament allows for one very simple thing: the third-placed qualification route to the knockout rounds will have to be scrapped. The only way you can make a round of 32 in this format is by having the top two teams from all 16 groups qualify for the latter stages.
Using those numbers as a template, a move to 64 teams would mean 20 grounds would be needed for 128 matches.
Logistically, there are question marks if 64 teams is the way forward in the long-term.
The proposed format would feature 16 groups of four, increasing group-stage matches from 72 to 96 and extending the tournament to roughly six weeks. Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, slated to host opening matches, are urging FIFA to allocate more games, while Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will host the later stages.