FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s suggestion that the World Cup could eventually expand to 64 teams has reignited one of football’s biggest debates.
Critics argue that another expansion would dilute the competition, weaken the qualifying process and create major logistical challenges for host nations. Supporters believe it would make the World Cup more representative of the global game and give more countries the opportunity to compete on football’s biggest stage. Whatever FIFA ultimately decides, the first 48-team World Cup has given Infantino something he did not have before: evidence. When FIFA approved the expansion from 32 to 48 teams in 2017, many questioned whether the tournament would lose some of its prestige. Would there be too many mismatches? Would qualification become less meaningful? Would the overall quality suffer?
Instead, the tournament has produced compelling evidence that opening the door to more nations can enrich the competition without sacrificing its drama or competitive edge. Few matches illustrated that better than Egypt’s dramatic Round of 16 defeat to Argentina.
The Pharaohs came within minutes of eliminating the defending champions before Argentina fought back to claim a thrilling 3-2 victory in one of the tournament’s defining matches. The drama continued after the final whistle, with Egyptian supporters questioning a disallowed Mostafa Ziko goal and a late penalty appeal involving Mohamed Salah.