Even Infantino Has Good Ideas: The Next World Cup Expansion Is the Right Step

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is floating the idea of further expanding the World Cup, proposing an increase from the current 48 participating teams to 64. This potential expansion, discussed in an interview with Swiss online portal blue News, follows the first World Cup featuring 48 nations, which saw many smaller teams perform commendably.

Infantino's suggestion is framed as a logical next step, building on the positive reception of the expanded format. The performance of "smaller" nations in the recent tournament has apparently bolstered confidence that the tournament's format can be successfully adapted and improved with an even larger field.

While the article notes that not everything Infantino proposes is inherently bad, it also highlights the context of the interview being "sensationalistically uncritical." The piece suggests that the expansion is a move that can be "repaired" in the future, implying that the current 48-team format, and any future 64-team iteration, might still require adjustments.