Is the World Cup too precious to be tampered with further? FIFA’s emphatic “no” to a 64-team expansion suggests that, for the moment, the answer is yes. The decision to halt the tournament’s growth at 48 teams reflects a powerful sentiment within the global football community that the event’s prestige is a fragile asset that must be protected.
The question was forced by a formal proposal from South America’s Conmebol, which pitched a 64-team centenary tournament to FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Their vision was one of a bigger, more inclusive celebration, arguing that a larger field would enhance the World Cup’s global character.
However, the prevailing view within FIFA is that making the tournament bigger would actually make it smaller in stature. The core of the opposition, from the FIFA Council to confederation heads like Aleksander Ceferin, is the belief that exclusivity is key to the World Cup’s allure. Allowing nearly a third of all member nations to participate, they fear, would diminish the achievement of qualifying.
An inside source confirmed this protective instinct, stating the council’s “overwhelming feeling” is that a 64-team format would “damage the World Cup.” This isn’t just a business calculation; it’s an emotional and sporting one, rooted in the idea that the tournament should be an elite gathering of the world’s best.
By rejecting the 64-team plan, FIFA has drawn a line in the sand. It has declared that the World Cup’s precious formula—a blend of high stakes, high quality, and hard-won glory—is not something it is willing to risk, even for the promise of a bigger party.