“Possible World Cup growth will be talked about after the 2026 event”—Infantino
FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated that any potential expansion of the World Cup, which would raise the number of teams in the finals to 64, will be considered after this year’s edition, though he did not offer any specifics.
The 2026 finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States feature 48 teams for the first time, a decision that faced significant criticism but has not sparked much discussion since the tournament began on June 11.
These are all matters we will be reviewing following the World Cup,” Infantino, who successfully advocated for the expansion of the finals from 32 teams, informed Swiss television outlet Blue Sport.
He refrained from providing further details, stating simply, “I believe it is crucial that when you aim to host a World Cup, it should be for the entire world—not solely Europe and South America, but truly for the whole globe.
Every nation ought to have the opportunity to aspire to participate in the World Cup. The quality of the teams is exceptionally high and continues to improve globally.
“If smaller countries are not giprovidedhe opportunity to participate in the World Cup, they will lack the motivation to continue their development.”
Infantino praised the 48-team tournament as a triumph, stating: “Every team performed at an elevated level. Teams from all corners of the globe found the back of the net and secured at least one point.
Nine out of ten African teams advanced to the knockout stage. During the most recent World Cup, only five teams represented Africa. “That clearly illustrates the significance of involving all teams and providing them with this opportunity to participate,” he added.
The World Cup field expanded to 32 teams in 1998. The upcoming finals in 2030 will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, while the tournament in 2034 is set to take place in Saudi Arabia.
Infantino stands by the decisions regarding hydration breaks and ticket pricing.
Infantino, who seldom engages with the media and has restricted his formal press conferences, acknowledged that the implementation of hydration breaks during each half, perceived by many as a calculated move to benefit television partners through increased advertising revenue, has sparked controversy.
This topic ignites considerable discussion. Ultimately, we don’t aim for perfection in everything; we enjoy providing everyone with something to debate… just kidding, of course. Last year, at the Club World Cup in the USA, cooling breaks were implemented whenever the heat became excessive.
“These short breaks happened in approximately 60% of the matches, while the remaining 40% did not experience them due to lower temperatures.” Many complaints arose, as there was a sentiment that all teams ought to encounter the same conditions,” he stated.
He also defended the elevated ticket prices at the World Cup, stating, “The stadiums are full; capacity utilization is at 99.7% and it is expected to reach 99.9% by the end.” Experts established the ticket prices prior to the tournament. Our experts provided their insights and informed us: ‘These are the prices you can consider.’ We now have the evidence: prices that certain individuals asserted were excessively high are being resold on the secondary market — which is entirely legal in this context — for four or five times the initial price.
Infantino stated that he anticipated FIFA would generate a total of 13 to 14 billion Swiss francs ($16.08 billion to $17.32 billion) from the 39-day World Cup. “That is quite satisfactory,” he remarked.
