FIFA President Eyes 64-Team World Cup, Sparking Speculation Over China's Inclusion

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced that he will seriously consider a proposal to significantly expand the World Cup to 64 participating nations, starting from the 2030 tournament.

In an interview with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, when asked about the possibility of a 64-team World Cup, Infantino stated, "This is a matter that will certainly be discussed by the relevant committee after the current North and Central American tournament concludes."

Infantino emphasized, "The World Cup should be for the entire world, not just Europe and South America. Every nation should be able to dream of participating in the World Cup," adding, "If smaller nations do not get the opportunity to participate, they lose the motivation for development."

Highlighting the current North and Central American tournament, which is the first to feature 48 teams, Infantino noted that nine out of the ten African teams advanced to the knockout stage, calling it a "tremendous success." He pointed out, "In the previous tournament, only five African nations participated. This is evidence of how important it is to embrace all teams and provide them with opportunities to participate."

However, football fans are casting suspicious eyes on the potential reform, questioning whether it is intended to help China, which failed to qualify even under the 48-team format, secure a spot in the World Cup.

Netizens have expressed intense reactions, with comments such as, "Isn't FIFA just greedy for money?", "They should just sell a ticket to China for money," and "Who would watch a World Cup where the number of participating countries increases and the quality drops?"

The 2030 World Cup, which follows the current North and Central American tournament, will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco to mark the 100th anniversary of the event.

If the number of teams in the World Cup finals increases to 64, the total number of matches will double compared to the 32-team format, resulting in a total of 128 games.

Reported by Kim Taewon | Video by Lee Da-in | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.