FIFA is weighing plans to balloon the men’s World Cup to 64 teams, a move that would nearly double the tournament’s traditional size and raise familiar questions about whether bigger necessarily means better.

The expansion could arrive as early as the 2030 centenary edition, though 2038 appears to be the more realistic target.

From 32 to 48 to… 64

The World Cup hasn’t even played its first 48-team tournament yet. The 2026 edition, set to take place across the US, Mexico, and Canada, will be the first to feature 48 nations, up from the 32-team format that’s been standard since 1998. And FIFA is already shopping for the next upgrade.

The 64-team proposal was floated by CONMEBOL, South American football’s governing body, back in March 2025. The pitch tied the expansion to the 2030 World Cup, which marks 100 years since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay.

The 2030 edition is already a logistical adventure. Morocco, Portugal, and Spain will co-host the main tournament, while Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will stage special centenary matches.

The US wants back in

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, went public on June 26, 2026, with his view that the US should host the 2038 tournament. His argument is straightforward: the country is already spending heavily on infrastructure and logistics for 2026, so why not capitalize on that investment while the stadiums are still shiny?

The bidding process for 2038 hasn’t officially begun. The 2034 World Cup has already been awarded to Saudi Arabia, meaning FIFA’s dance card is full through at least the mid-2030s.

The quality question

Not everyone is thrilled about perpetual expansion. Qualification standards would inevitably loosen. More spots would be distributed across FIFA’s six continental confederations, meaning teams that currently miss out by narrow margins would suddenly find themselves on the world’s biggest stage.

What to watch

The 2026 World Cup will be the real test case. If the jump from 32 to 48 teams produces compelling football and strong viewership, FIFA will have all the ammunition it needs to push for 64. The current plan involves 12 groups of four, followed by a 32-team knockout round.