Shaky footing, urgent FIFA president... pulls out '64-nation World Cup' card to secure re-election

*This content was translated by AI.

The position of FIFA President Gianni Infantino is becoming increasingly unstable. Amid growing backlash from the European football community due to a series of controversies, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) has unveiled the radical card of a '64-nation World Cup' ahead of his re-election bid.

On the 13th (Korea time), The Sun reported that "FIFA President Infantino has left open the possibility of expanding the 2030 World Cup to include 64 nations."

It further explained, "In Pan-ti-no (Chairman), who is seeking re-election for his final term as FIFA president next year, recently faced controversy over exempting AS Monaco striker Polin Valogun from disciplinary action following his red card at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump. This has drawn continued criticism from the global football community."

Infantino, who has led FIFA since 2016, is currently serving a term that ends next year. If he successfully secures re-election in the upcoming presidential election, he could remain as FIFA president until 2031.

However, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) is facing intense criticism over the controversy surrounding the revocation of Valogun's disciplinary sanction during the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup. Allegations that he removed the punishment at the request of President Trump have sparked strong opposition, particularly within the European football community.

As a result, the card In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) has pulled out is the '64-nation World Cup.' The Sun reported that "while European football associations are strongly opposing In Pan-ti-no (Chairman), there are also expectations that confederations outside Europe may seek new candidates to challenge In Pan-ti-no (Chairman)'s four-year term."

It further added, "In this context, Infantino's statement suggesting the possibility of expanding from a 48-nation to a 64-nation World Cup has emerged. This move is also being interpreted as an effort to regain support from his wavering base."

The World Cup, first held in Uruguay in 1930, was conducted with 32 participating nations from 1998 through 2022. Starting with the 2026 North American World Cup, the number of participating countries increased to 48. Although there were concerns, it has also received evaluations for exceeding expectations in terms of popularity and competitiveness. In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) himself praised the North American World Cup as a "huge success."

Having confirmed the achievements of the 48th-nation format, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) now holds the position that discussions could be held on expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 nations. Increasing the number of participating countries and matches would allow FIFA to expect higher revenues, while In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) could also garner support from continents seeking expanded World Cup qualification slots.

Until now, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) has maintained that a 64-nation World Cup is not realistically feasible. However, his stance has recently shifted toward not ruling out the possibility.

In an interview with Swiss media recently, In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) emphasized, "At the North American World Cup, nine out of ten African teams advanced to the tournament stage. In the previous World Cup, only five African teams participated."

He further explained, "This demonstrates how important it is to include more teams and provide opportunities for participation in the World Cup."

In Pan-ti-no (Chairman) stated, "The proposal to expand to 64 nations will be clearly reviewed and discussed by the relevant committee after this World Cup concludes."

He argued, "When hosting the World Cup, it is crucial to hold a tournament for the entire world. It must be a competition not just for Europe and South America, but truly for the whole world. Every country should have the dream of participating in the World Cup."

He also added, "Team standards are continuously improving globally. If small nations are not given opportunities to participate in the World Cup, they may lose their motivation to continue developing."

Expanding to 64 nations could also meet demands from the South American football community. The 2030 World Cup, commemorating its 100th anniversary, will feature one match each in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, with the remaining schedule held in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.

However, South American football officials are requesting that an entire group's schedule be allocated to each of Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. If the number of participating nations is increased to 64, creating a 16-group format would make it possible to assign one full group to each of the three South American countries.

The Sun explained, "Currently, the 2030 World Cup is planned to begin with three opening matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, followed by the remaining games in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco."

It further reported, "South American football officials are requesting that an entire group's schedule be allocated to each of Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. Increasing the number of participating nations to 64 would make such operational arrangements possible."

The African continent is also reportedly responding positively to the 64th-nation World Cup idea. Nigerian media Punch projected that "if the 64th-nation format is adopted, Africa's current quota of 10 spots in the 48th-nation system could increase further." For African nations, the greatest advantage lies in expanding the World Cup from being Europe- and South America-centric to a truly global tournament, allowing more countries to experience the world stage.

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*This content was translated by AI.