'The pot has been properly heated.' FIFA, again expanding the World Cup 'Historic first: from 48 to a staggering 64 nations'... "Worst decision" fiercely criticized

*This content was translated by AI.

There are also signs that the number of participating nations in the World Cup will increase further. The International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) is expected to seriously consider a plan to expand the number of participating countries to 64.

According to reports by foreign media outlets including the UK's 'The Guardian' and the US 'ESPN' on the 13th (Korea time), FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his support for increasing the number of World Cup participants from the current 48 nations to 64 in an interview with Swiss media 'Bluewin'.

In fact, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) stated in the interview that "after this World Cup concludes, the relevant committee will definitely review and discuss this issue," adding, "When organizing the World Cup, it is important to organize it not only for Europe and South America but for the entire world. Every country should be able to dream of participating in the World Cup."

He also emphasized the need for expansion by stating, "Currently, team levels around the world are very high and continue to improve," and added, "If we do not provide opportunities for smaller nations to participate in the World Cup, they will lose the motivation to continue developing."

The number of participating nations in the World Cup remained at 32 from the 1998 France World Cup through the 2022 Qatar tournament, but was significantly expanded to 48 for the first time in this 2026 edition. The total number of matches also increased dramatically from the previous 64 games to 104.

With the 2026 North American World Cup, held for the first time under a 48-nation format, approaching its conclusion, there are now discussions about potentially introducing this format immediately starting with the next tournament in 2030, which is expected to cause significant upheaval within and outside the football community.

In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) praised the current 48-nation format as a complete success. He explained, "All teams demonstrated high-level performance, and teams from every continent scored goals and earned at least one point," adding, "While only five African nations participated in the previous World Cup, nine out of ten teams from Africa advanced to the tournament stage in this edition. This is evidence of how important it is to provide opportunities for all teams."

Currently, the 2030 World Cup has been confirmed to be held across multiple years and continents. The tournament will commemorate its centennial by holding one match each in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, before moving to Morocco, Portugal, and Spain to complete the remaining matches.

In response, UK media 'GB News' predicted that if the World Cup expands to 64 nations, the current system allowing top third-place teams from each group to advance to the Round of 32 would be abolished, reverting to a traditional format where groups consist of four teams and only the top two advance directly to the Round of 32. Another scenario being discussed involves South American countries hosting entire groups of four teams instead of playing just one match each.

However, opposition and concerns within the football community are also significant. If 64 nations are confirmed, the total number of matches would increase to 128, doubling the number from the previous 32-nation era. Regarding this, Victor Montagliani, president of CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football), stated through 'ESPN' that "expanding to 64 nations is not a proper measure for the World Cup itself, national teams, club competitions, leagues, and players as part of the entire football ecosystem." The UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) president also expressed shock at FIFA's decision, calling it a "bad idea," while Carlos Queiroz, head coach of the Ghana national team, strongly criticized the 48th-nation expansion as "a vulgar and poor decision."

Former manager Jürgen Klopp, who is widely expected to take over as the next Germany national team coach, gave a dual assessment in an interview with 'BBC': "Players are playing too many matches. For top-level players, modern football schedules have become excessively demanding," yet he added, "When considering countries like Curaçao, Cape Verde, and Haiti, I cannot deny that this is excellent." He concluded, "While the problem of excessive match load in modern football has not been fully resolved, the emotional impact shown during this tournament was truly special."

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*This content was translated by AI.