FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced on July 12 that FIFA-related committees will review the feasibility of expanding the tournament to 64 participating teams before the 2030 World Cup; the current 48-team format will make its debut at the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The 2030 World Cup is being jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, while Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will host the centenary matches.
Infantino Statement: FIFA Committees Will Review the Feasibility of Expanding to 64 Teams for 2030
According to Infantino’s public statement, FIFA-related committees will officially review the feasibility of expanding the tournament field from 48 to 64 teams before the 2030 World Cup; the proposal has not yet been formally approved and is currently only in the research and review stage.
The current 48-team format was expanded from a 32-team setup and is slated to be implemented for the first time at the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; if the tournament is expanded to 64 teams again in 2030, it will add a series of group-stage matches and increase the total number of games.
The expansion plan for the 2030 World Cup also faces multiple uncertainties, including the final deliberation outcome of the FIFA committees and the stadium and logistics capacity of the joint host countries.
Kraken’s FIFA Official Sponsor Status and the Current Situation of Chiliz Fan Tokens
According to reports, Kraken officially announced on June 9, 2026, that it would become an official cryptocurrency exchange sponsor of the 2026 World Cup, which is a concrete example of a major centralized crypto exchange forming an official partnership with FIFA.
As for Chiliz, during the 2026 World Cup period, its blockchain platform showed significant fluctuations in fan token trading volume, with trading volume changes closely tied to match results; Chiliz currently provides fan token issuance services for national teams and major clubs, and the current number of tokens depends on the number of teams already under contract.
Market Risk Factors: Possibility of Committee Rejection, Market Conditions, and Fan Token Liquidity
According to reports, the potential impact of this World Cup expansion plan on the crypto market faces the following known risks:
Committee Rejection Risk: The FIFA committees may reject the 64-team format
Market Environment Risk: If conditions in the cryptocurrency market worsen, related sponsorship agreements may be affected
Fan Token Liquidity Risk: Fan tokens are still highly speculative tools, and liquidity is weaker outside the event peak period
Uncertainty in Implementation of the Expansion: The plan is still under review, and the final timetable and scale will be subject to FIFA’s official announcement
Frequently Asked Questions
Has FIFA officially decided to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams?
Based on Infantino’s statement, FIFA-related committees will “review” the “feasibility” of expanding to 64 teams before the 2030 World Cup; no formal decision has been made yet. This is a proposal still under study, not an officially approved decision.
What impact does Kraken becoming a FIFA official sponsor have on its business?
According to reports, Kraken announced on June 9, 2026, that it would become an official cryptocurrency exchange sponsor of the 2026 World Cup; if the 2030 World Cup expands to 64 teams, the exposure potential covered by the relevant sponsorship will increase accordingly. The specific sponsorship agreement terms will be subject to official announcements by Kraken and FIFA.
How did the fan tokens on Chiliz perform during the World Cup?
According to reports, fan token trading volume on the Chiliz platform saw significant fluctuations during the 2026 World Cup period, and the changes were closely related to match results; this indicates that the trading activity of fan tokens is directly influenced by the tournament’s progression. Fan tokens are highly speculative tools, and liquidity is poor outside the event peak period; specific trading data will be subject to official data from the Chiliz platform.
