Error code: %{errorCode}
Is football ready for a 64-team World Cup in 2030?
For those who've enjoyed the World Cup over the past six weeks, taking in the biggest World Cup of all time, there's some good news - things could be about to get even bigger.
Having expanded the tournament for the first time to 48 teams in 2026, there is now a suggestion that FIFA could increase the number of teams yet further for the next finals in 2030.
Would an even bigger World Cup make sense? Could it logistically work, or will FIFA be overegging their prized pudding once more?
The World Cup's greatest goal?
Maradona bamboozles England at Mexico '86
How big could the World Cup get?
The idea that has been suggested during the course, and relative success of the current tournament, is the possibility of increasing the number of teams from 48 in 2026 to 64 next time round.
The already larger field has given more countries the opportunity to play at a World Cup, with the likes of Cape Verde and Jordan making their debut this time around and adding another 12 nations would only increase that field yet further.
The positive reaction to proceedings in North America instantly raised the question of a further expansion, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino was asked about the possibility of a 64-team World Cup this past week.
"These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup," Infantino told Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport.
"When organising a World Cup, it's important to organise it for the whole world - not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup.
"You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it's getting higher and higher, all over the world. If you don't give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they'll lack the incentive to keep improving."
Infantino also cited the performances of African teams as proof of the expansion working, with nine out of the 10 teams progressing to the knockout stage.
Dazn Media
Could a 64-team tournament work?
From a formatting point of view, the tournament would stay the same in terms of how many rounds there would be; the difference would be an extra four groups.
Then, from each of those groups, the top two would qualify for the Round of 32, without the need for any third-placed teams to be added to the knockout round.
It would increase the number of games in the finals from 104 this year to 128 over the course of the summer, which would still need to fit within the football calendar and not interfere with domestic campaigns.
In theory, then, it would mean more games per day in the group stages, but that comes with its own issues, as World Cups would then need to be hosted by countries/areas that can accommodate that number of games.
The US is obviously one of them, but even in 2026, have had help from Canada and Mexico. In four years' time, six countries will host the tournament as FIFA celebrates the competition's centennial year, but going forward, it could prove problematic for 'smaller' host nations.
Harold Cunningham - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Could Saudi Arabia in 2034 accommodate such a schedule? Right now, it's hard to say, but it could be the biggest bump in the road in the plans to expand further.
However, there has already been talk of the US bidding to bring the finals back to the States in 2038, which would obviously easily handle any further expansion.
Then there's an argument that the tournament could be watered down due to so many nations involved. However, by and large, the evidence from 2026 seems to be that the larger format hasn't affected the quality on show, and it would allow more teams to experience a World Cup and more revenue to be distributed to the member associations.
It's a decision that seems unlikely to be made any time soon, but given what has happened in 2026, bigger and bolder seems to be the way forward for FIFA's grandest stage of them all.
Watch the world's best football on DAZN
After the World Cup is over, there is so much great football still to watch on DAZN.
Premier League: All English top flight matches live and in full in Canada
Serie A: Watch all 380 matches of the Italian league live in the UK and Canada. Also in the US in Spanish language
Champions League: Watch every match of the 2026/27 campaign in Canada. Three matches per round exclusively in the US, in Spanish language
National League: DAZN is the home of the National League, with every game available either live or on-demand, plus selected North and South matches
FIFA+ on DAZN : Watch over 7,000 live matches a year, plus World Cup archive, iconic documentaries, films, and player profiles for FREE
