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Gianni Infantino is reportedly prepared to support a further expansion of the World Cup to 64 teams as he fights to retain his hold on power at FIFA. The Swiss administrator is facing unprecedented pressure from leading football confederations after a string of controversial proposals cast doubt over his long-term future.

Pressure rises on embattled FIFA chief

FIFA president Infantino is at a crucial point in his leadership as he considers a move to expand the World Cup to an extraordinary 64 teams, according to The Times. The possible change comes with Infantino’s position under heavy scrutiny after the backlash from a failed proposal to sell commercial rights to private investors.

The situation escalated sharply when UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC released a strongly worded joint statement accusing the administration of a 'breach of trust through deception'.

New expansion plan aimed at securing votes

With his presidency on the line, the report says Infantino is looking at the 2030 tournament as a way to rebuild political support. The bold proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams was first put forward by CONMEBOL, South America’s football governing body. Infantino is now ready to fully back that idea. By pushing for such a major expansion of the tournament, he hopes to give more countries a financially rewarding route to the global stage, while strategically winning support from a broader group of nations and gathering the votes required to preserve his presidency.

This move comes even though the competition has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition in North America. Infantino recently travelled to Colombia to attend the inauguration of President Abelardo de la Espriella, where talks over the 64-team format took place, according to the report. Forcing through that model for the 2030 World Cup would place huge strain on an event that is already highly complicated from a logistical point of view, with the tournament currently set to be hosted mainly by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, along with additional matches in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Trump offers public backing

While opinion across the football world remains divided, Infantino has received support from US President Donald Trump. Defending the Swiss official on social media, Trump said the governing body’s recent financial success is directly linked to Infantino’s leadership. He said FIFA would be 'making a terrible mistake' if it chose to replace the current president at such a critical moment.

Threat of breakaway competitions grows

Tensions inside FIFA have risen to the point where the extreme option of breakaway competitions is reportedly being discussed. UEFA has been especially outspoken and had earlier threatened to boycott FIFA competitions altogether if its concerns over governance and commercial transparency were not resolved.

Infantino has apologised for the way recent proposals were handled, but for many that response appears to have come too late. With his current term running until 2027 and with ambitions to remain in office until 2031, the FIFA chief is standing firm.