FIFA president Gianni Infantino joked on June 12 that if the 2030 World Cup expands from 48 to 64 teams, Italy might qualify for the tournament, which would mark a return after the four-time champions missed the last three World Cups in 2018, 2022, and 2026 [1, 2, 3].

The 2026 World Cup, currently underway in North America, is the first to feature 48 teams, an expansion from the previous 32 [1, 2, 3]. Talks and a formal proposal to expand the 2030 edition to 64 teams have been submitted to the FIFA Council. This expansion is backed by CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez to celebrate the centenary of the first World Cup held in Uruguay, where part of the 2030 tournament matches will also be hosted alongside Spain, Portugal, and Morocco [1, 2].

Infantino added a further joke about the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 208 teams at some point in the future. He said, "We have had discussions about expanding to 64 teams ... the matter was presented to the Fifa council. Maybe Italy qualify with 64 teams, or we could even go up to 208 teams." [2]

Italy’s sports minister Andrea Abodi expressed confusion and sought clarity on Infantino’s remarks. "Given that there is a big distance between Italy and Mexico, I’d rather speak to him on the telephone to understand (what he meant). I’d like to hear from him directly," Abodi said on June 14 [1, 2].

In a separate controversy, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin drew criticism after saying many matches in the expanded 48-team World Cup are "completely uninteresting." A joint statement by 13 World Cup teams, including debutants Cape Verde, Curacao, and Uzbekistan, rejected Ceferin’s claim, stating, "For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match. To suggest that these matches are somehow less important is deeply disappointing and fails to recognize the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, football leaders and supporters across the world." [4]

The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to be jointly hosted across Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and South America, with matches in Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. The FIFA Council is currently reviewing the 64-team expansion proposal ahead of the tournament [1, 2].