Infantino eyes another huge World Cup change to secure position as FIFA chief

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reportedly expressed a willingness to support another expansion of the World Cup. It has been suggested that Infantino would be in favour of the tournament increasing from 48 to 64 teams, amid ongoing uncertainty around his future in the job.

The uncertainty followed news which emerged that FIFA had proposals that would have seen them sell shares of the federation’s tournaments to private investors.

The controversial scheme would have affected the men's and women's World Cups, as well as the Club World Cup, but was shelved following a substantial backlash.

Infantino's future as FIFA President has been uncertain ever since the proposals emerged, with UEFA releasing statements outlining their plans to boycott the federation's major tournaments if the plans were still on the table.

What lies ahead for Infantino remains to be seen, but a fresh update has now emerged purporting to shed light on his position regarding the next World Cup in 2030.

The Times has reported that Infantino would support expanding the tournament once more to accommodate 64 teams, despite the World Cup already having grown from 32 to 48 teams for this summer's competition in North America.

The report suggests that Infantino travelled to Colombia on Friday to attend the inauguration of the country's new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, where discussions over a potential expansion of the World Cup are said to have taken place.

The 2030 World Cup will once again be shared across multiple nations, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco serving as the primary hosts, while Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will each stage a single match to mark the competition's 100th anniversary.

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The proposals to expand the World Cup to 64 teams were put forward by CONMEBOL, South America's governing football body, with reports suggesting Infantino is prepared to put his support behind the plans as he looks to secure the backing of more nations to secure his presidency.

With Infantino's position shrouded in uncertainty, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to make his feelings abundantly clear, insisting it would be an error to remove the current FIFA chief.

"FIFA would be making a terrible mistake if, for any reason, they even considered replacing President Gianni Infantino,” Trump wrote.

"He is fantastic, having just presided over the most successful World Cup, by four times, ever presented.

"If he is gone, it will never be as successful or profitable again!"