As the World Cup enters an unprecedented sixth week of competition, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has suggested that the 2030 tournament might expand to include 64 teams. This idea emerged shortly after a two-day rest period, prompting speculation about FIFA’s plans for future events. While some critics may see this as a diversion from recent controversies, it appears that FIFA is indeed contemplating this significant change.
Infantino emphasized the importance of making the World Cup inclusive, stating, “When organising a World Cup, it’s important to organise it for the whole world – not just Europe and South America – but effectively the entire world,” He argued that providing opportunities for smaller nations to participate can inspire their growth in football. Despite the existing qualification system, where smaller countries can compete, the notion of a 64-team tournament has sparked interest among fans and analysts alike.
The proposed format would likely consist of 16 groups of four countries, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stage. This structure would replicate previous World Cup formats, eliminating scenarios where teams might advance through less conventional means, such as a 3-3 draw with Austria and Algeria. The prospect of fresh faces in the tournament is appealing, as seen with the performances of teams like Cape Verde and Uzbekistan.
With the addition of 16 teams, the tournament would feature 24 more matches, which should be manageable given the plan to host the event across 23 venues in six countries on three continents. Picture this: on a sunny June day in 2030, you could witness matches like Spain versus India in Madrid, Madagascar versus Colombia in Lisbon, and China versus France in Rabat, culminating with Argentina facing New Caledonia in Buenos Aires. However, this ambitious scheduling would certainly challenge logistics, particularly for Infantino’s travel arrangements.
Furthermore, this initiative may signal a broader vision for future tournaments. Infantino’s idea of a World Cup “If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.” could potentially lead to a global tournament by 2034, encompassing all 211 FIFA member nations. Such a scenario would undoubtedly raise questions for the host nation, possibly Saudi Arabia, about the implications of such extensive participation. It could also present Italy with another opportunity to reestablish itself on the world stage.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I’m not that bad. [I’ve watched] some as a fan, teams we can’t face; others I analyse. But it’s not like I’m there with pen and paper. But, yeah, I probably am the worst” – Spain metronome Rodri settles down for a chat with Sid Lowe about their chances against France in the semis, getting the best out of Lamine Yamal and watching the ‘82 album, complete with the scribbles of a newly-obsessed eight-year-old football fan and the dog ears of an adult who still treasures memories of the tournament. My parents supported its completion as a distraction from our migration from Switzerland to Australia and created a moment in time for me that means all my passwords still start with Zico and my favourite coffee table book remains Baumann’ of the 100 GWC games so far.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
‘Fussball Weltmeisterschaft 1982 Spanien’ – Stuart Ainsworth (and 1,056 others).
“In yesterday’s Memory Lane (full email edition) featuring the England 1982 World Cup Panini spread, you finished with ‘want, want, want’ and I can free you from desire. I have the full ‘82 album, complete with the scribbles of a newly-obsessed eight-year-old football fan and the dog ears of an adult who still treasures memories of the tournament. My parents supported its completion as a distraction from our migration from Switzerland to Australia and created a moment in time for me that means all my passwords still start with Zico and my favourite coffee table book remains Baumann’s ‘Fussball Weltmeisterschaft 1982 Spanien’. I’m happy to loan you both the album and book for as long as it takes to satisfy your needs. Yours in love of el jogo bonito” – Phil Hess [thanks Phil, we probably couldn’t afford the return postage, but appreciate the kind offer – Football Daily Ed].
If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day goes to … Phil Hess. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.
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