The 48-team World Cup hasn't even played its first game yet, and FIFA is already floating the idea of going bigger — much bigger. A proposal to expand the 2030 tournament to 66 national teams is back on the table, and this time it's not just a trial balloon.
The push originated with Conmebol, whose confederation has long argued that too many nations exist permanently on the outside of football's biggest event. When the idea first surfaced months ago, it looked like a negotiating opener — the kind of thing you float to see who flinches. Now multiple federations are treating it seriously, and so is Gianni Infantino's inner circle at FIFA.
Why 66 Teams Actually Has Momentum
Infantino has built his entire public identity around the idea of football as a global celebration, particularly for nations that have never appeared at a World Cup. A 66-team format gives that philosophy a structural home. The 2026 expansion to 48 teams was already a statement — Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will all appear in North America. Going to 66 in 2030 would extend that logic even further.
The host setup for 2030 makes the arithmetic more plausible than it sounds. Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are the primary venues, but games are also planned in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay — a spread across three continents that creates natural space for a larger group stage. You'd essentially need a tournament infrastructure that's already transoceanic to accommodate 66 teams without it feeling absurd.
That said, the proposal still has a long road. FIFA won't formally begin organizing 2030 until after July 19, 2026, when the new world champion is crowned in North America. The 2026 tournament becomes the proving ground — operationally and politically — for what comes next.
Spain's Host Cities Still Not Settled
There's also the unresolved mess of Spanish venues. Málaga has already been cut. Bilbao and San Sebastián remain uncertain. FIFA holds final say on every host city, and the current ambiguity suggests the 2030 infrastructure picture is far from complete — never mind adding 18 more teams on top of it.
One thing that does appear settled: the Club World Cup will not become a biennial event. The next edition stays penciled in for 2029, and pushing for a two-year cycle is reportedly viewed inside FIFA as a step too far, even by the standards of an organization that rarely says no to expansion.
Sixty-six teams at a World Cup would have seemed like satire five years ago. Right now, it's a live conversation. North America 2026 is where the debate gets its first real stress test.
