Infantino Drops Plan to Expand World Cups
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has abandoned efforts to further expand World Cup tournaments for national teams and clubs amid mounting criticism.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Soccer
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has dropped plans to further expand FIFA World Cups for national teams and clubs and will no longer push for more World Cup teams if re-elected. The decision comes as UEFA says it has lost confidence in Infantino and is considering a vote of no confidence.
Why it matters
The reversal follows criticism of Infantino's commercialisation initiatives, including a proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise arrangement opposed by UEFA, CONCACAF, the Asian Football Confederation and CONMEBOL. The episode highlights growing institutional tension over how FIFA monetises its major men's and women's tournaments.
FIFA said the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise arrangement could generate US$4.2 billion, while Infantino had backed a CONMEBOL proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 national teams. The status of both proposals going forward remains unclear.
The players
Gianni Infantino
Infantino is the president of FIFA, world soccer's governing body, who has been re-elected twice without opposition since taking office in 2016.
UEFA
UEFA is the Union of European Football Associations, the governing body for soccer across Europe, which has said it lost confidence in Infantino.
The details
Infantino will no longer push for an increase in the number of World Cup teams if re-elected, following criticism of his efforts to commercialise tournament rights. UEFA, CONCACAF, the Asian Football Confederation and CONMEBOL all opposed the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, which was intended to manage commercial rights to FIFA's major tournaments.
Timeline
February 2016: Infantino took over as FIFA head.
August: Infantino supported the CONMEBOL proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams.
March 2027: Next FIFA presidential election, to be held in Morocco.
Season Trajectory
Infantino's pledge to stop pushing for larger World Cups marks a reversal from the expansion trajectory that FIFA has pursued with the 2026 tournament format. The decision reshapes the governance debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election in Morocco.
If re-elected, Infantino has committed to not pursuing further increases in the number of World Cup teams, which would limit future tournament expansion. Fans and clubs should watch whether the FIFA Forward Enterprise commercial arrangement, which faced opposition from several confederations, moves forward.
The takeaway
Infantino's retreat on expansion shows how confederation opposition and commercialisation disputes can reshape FIFA's agenda. Stakeholders should track whether the governance dispute escalates into a formal no-confidence vote.
What happens next
FIFA's next presidential election is scheduled for March 2027 in Morocco, when Infantino's leadership will face a vote.
Further reading
Explore more on Soccer for context on FIFA's governance and tournament plans.
Source note: This article includes information reported by UzDaily.
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