China, Ranked 91st in FIFA, Smiles: "World Cup Expansion to 64 Countries May Be Considered"

FIFA President Considers Expanding World Cup to 64 Countries

Voices of Opposition Emerge from Some Quarters

Gianni Infantino, President of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), has announced that he will consider expanding the number of participating countries to 64 starting with the 2030 World Cup. The intention is to provide more nations with the opportunity to compete in the World Cup and to motivate the development of football worldwide.

FIFA President: "We Will Discuss Expanding the World Cup to 64 Countries"

Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). Photo by AP Yonhap News

In an interview with Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport on the 13th (Korean time), President Infantino was asked about the possibility of a 64-nation World Cup. He replied, "This is definitely an issue that will be discussed through the relevant committee after the current North and Central America tournament concludes."

He stated, "The World Cup should be for the entire world, not just Europe and South America. Every country should be able to dream of participating in the World Cup." He added, "We are seeing that the level of teams participating from around the world is very high and continues to improve. If smaller countries do not have the chance to participate, they will lose motivation for development."

In particular, President Infantino highlighted that, in the current North and Central America tournament—the first to feature a 48-nation format—9 out of 10 African teams advanced to the knockout stage, calling it "an incredible success." He noted, "In the previous tournament, only five African countries participated," emphasizing, "This is evidence of how important it is to be inclusive and to provide participation opportunities for all teams."

FIFA increased the number of finalists from 32 to 48 starting with this tournament, allowing more countries to experience the World Cup stage. If the number of participating nations expands to 64 starting in 2030, the total number of matches would reach 128, which is double that of the 32-nation format.

Some Say Expanding the World Cup to 64 Countries Is a "Bad Idea"

The photo is unrelated to any specific expressions in the article. Pixabay

Previously, in March last year, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) proposed increasing the number of participating countries to 64 for the 2030 World Cup, which marks the tournament’s centenary. The 2030 event will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

However, the proposal for a 64-nation World Cup by the South American confederation was met with opposition from the continental federations of Europe, Asia, and North and Central America. Aleksander Ceferin, President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), said of this suggestion, "It is a bad idea. I was truly astonished, and I think it is completely out of the question."

On the other hand, Andrew Giuliani, Executive Committee member of the White House World Cup Task Force (TF), stated that the United States could consider bidding for the 2038 World Cup and that even with an expansion to 64 countries, "it is entirely manageable."

Meanwhile, in China—which has failed to qualify for the World Cup finals for 24 years since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup—there is significant interest in this matter. Chinese media outlet NetEase reported President Infantino’s remarks as "hopeful news." They added that "China is currently ranked 91st in the FIFA world rankings and 15th in Asia," projecting that if the number of World Cup participants increases, new possibilities could open up for the Chinese national team as well.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.