FIFA eyes 64-team World Cup for 2030, and crypto prediction markets are licking their chops

FIFA President Gianni Infantino dropped a bombshell on July 12, 2026: the organization will formally evaluate expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams. That’s 16 more squads than the 48-team format making its debut at the current 2026 tournament, and a full 32 more than the classic format that governed the competition for two decades.

What FIFA actually said

The idea didn’t materialize out of thin air. CONMEBOL, South America’s football governing body, first floated the 64-team concept back in March 2025. The pitch was sentimental: the 2030 tournament marks the centennial of the very first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, and a supersized edition would be a fitting celebration.

Discussions picked up steam in September 2025 when CONMEBOL leadership met with Infantino. The framing shifted from nostalgia to inclusivity, positioning the expansion as part of FIFA’s broader mission to make the tournament accessible to nations beyond the traditional European and South American powerhouses.

Infantino made clear that the proposal would be formally reviewed after the 2026 World Cup wraps up. No final decision has been made. The proposal remains under review.

The 2030 tournament will span six countries across three continents: centenary matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, with the main hosting duties falling to Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.

The prediction market angle

According to Bernstein analysis, the 2026 World Cup’s 48-team, 104-match format is projected to generate upwards of $3 billion in traditional betting handle. Consumer prediction market volumes could spike even higher, landing somewhere between $5 billion and $10 billion.

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