A 64-team FIFA World Cup? Maybe it’s not as bad an idea as it sounds

July 15, 2026 — 3:30pm

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Is it possible to have too much of a good thing? It’s a difficult question to answer truthfully when the FIFA World Cup, the best thing about life - let alone sport - is about to finish.

No, too much of this is never enough. Give us more. Run it back.

There is nothing like the World Cup. It is transcendent. The way it captures attention and brings cultures together, in an increasingly divided and fragmented world, is entirely singular. Thanks to a friendly timezone, Australia has soaked this one in more than ever.

Not even FIFA can ruin it - and boy, have they tried. Somehow, despite the gross overcommercialisation, the presidential interference and the endless tampering with the structure of matches themselves, the magic is still there, shimmering beneath it all. The stars turned up, the storylines have been compelling. Fears the expansion to 48 teams would dilute the quality or enjoyment have proven to be ill-founded; there have been far fewer blowouts than expected, and in any case, it has not been the newcomers like Cape Verde, Curacao and DR Congo who have disappointed the most, but rather recognised football nations like Turkey, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.

Which brings us to Gianni Infantino’s latest proposal, a new way of fattening this beast up and injecting it with more content: expansion to 64 teams.

The FIFA president says it will be formally considered after the World Cup. Wonderful!

Would that be too much of a good thing?

A decent case could be prosecuted for further growth. For starters, 64 teams involves a much cleaner, neater bracket than........

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