Post a comment 
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that world football’s governing body will examine a proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams from the 2030 edition, a move that could significantly boost Sierra Leone’s chances of qualifying for the tournament for the first time in the nation’s history.
The proposal, if approved, would add 16 more teams to the competition following the 2026 World Cup expansion from 32 to 48 teams.
Infantino disclosed the development in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, as reported by The New York Times on Sunday.
Responding to questions about growing stakeholder interest in further expansion, Infantino said FIFA’s relevant committees would discuss the proposal after the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
“It is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup,” he said.
The FIFA president framed the expansion as part of the organisation’s commitment to inclusivity, stating that the tournament should be accessible to nations beyond traditional football powerhouses.
“The World Cup is for the whole world, not just Europe and South America,” Infantino said. “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.”
An expansion to 64 teams would likely increase the number of qualification places allocated to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), potentially giving Africa more slots than the 10 it receives under the current 48-team format. For Sierra Leone, which has never qualified for a World Cup and currently ranks among Africa’s lower-tier footballing nations, additional continental slots would substantially improve the pathway to the global stage.
Infantino also described the expansion to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup as “100 percent a success,” despite criticism from some coaches and football administrators.
The proposal for a 64-team tournament was first raised by Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso during a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025 and later received backing from CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez, who said a larger tournament in 2030 would “unite the world, just once.”
The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to be hosted across six countries on three continents, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay staging the opening matches, while Morocco, Portugal and Spain hosting the remainder of the tournament.
However, the proposal has faced opposition from some football leaders. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin described it as a “bad idea,” arguing that it would weaken both the World Cup and the European qualification process, while CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has expressed reservations, saying further expansion is “not a great idea.”
If approved, the 64-team format would allow more than a quarter of FIFA’s 210 member associations to compete at the World Cup, marking the biggest expansion in the tournament’s history and offering Sierra Leone what could be its most realistic qualification opportunity to date.
