If approved, the proposal would add 16 more participating nations just one tournament after the World Cup expands from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 competition, potentially creating additional qualification opportunities for countries across every continent, including Africa.
Speaking in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, as reported by The New York Times, Infantino said the proposal would be discussed by FIFA's decision-making bodies 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," Infantino said.
The FIFA president defended the idea of further expansion, arguing that the World Cup should reflect the global nature of football rather than remain dominated by traditional powerhouses from Europe and South America.
"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 significantly reshape the qualification process by increasing the number of places allocated to FIFA's six continental confederations. For Africa, which is set to receive 10 qualification slots under the expanded 48-team format for the 2026 World Cup, a further increase could translate into additional places at the global showpiece.
Infantino also dismissed concerns surrounding the recent expansion of the tournament, describing the move to 48 teams as a successful reform despite criticism from some coaches, football administrators and former players.
According to him, the enlarged competition has achieved FIFA's objective of making the World Cup more representative.
The proposal to increase the tournament to 64 teams first emerged during a FIFA Council meeting in March 2025, when Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso suggested the expansion as part of plans to celebrate the centenary edition of the World Cup.
The idea later gained support from South American football chief and CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez, who argued that a larger tournament would make the historic 2030 edition even more inclusive.
"A larger tournament in 2030 would 'unite the world, just once,'" Dominguez said.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be staged across six countries on three continents in a landmark hosting arrangement. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage opening matches to commemorate the tournament's origins, while Morocco, Portugal and Spain will host the remainder of the competition.
Despite the growing conversation around expansion, the proposal has also attracted opposition from influential figures within world football.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has described the plan as "a bad idea," warning that it could dilute the quality of both the World Cup and Europe's qualification process.
CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has similarly voiced reservations, arguing that expanding the tournament beyond 48 teams is "not a great idea."
If FIFA eventually approves the proposal, the 2030 tournament would become the largest World Cup ever staged, with more than one-quarter of the organisation's 210 member associations earning places at football's biggest event.