Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Rafael Louzán discussed the possibility of expanding the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams during an interview with Cadena SER’s program El Larguero.

Just a few days earlier, FIFA president Gianni Infantino had revealed that the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams in the future would be “reviewed and discussed” by the relevant committees. One of Infantino’s main arguments in favor of expansion is that: “If smaller countries are not given the opportunity to participate in the World Cup, they will lose the motivation to continue improving.”

Now, Louzán has also expressed support for the idea during his interview, suggesting that the 2030 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, could potentially see another increase of 16 participating teams.

Louzán said:

“The current 48-team World Cup has been a perfect experience for everyone. The influence of football has reached an additional 16 countries. Take Cape Verde as an example… not to mention Curaçao.”

He also admitted that he is becoming increasingly convinced that expanding the tournament to 64 teams could be a realistic possibility:

“At first, I may have been skeptical, but the reality is different. After communicating with FIFA on this issue, I learned that this possibility is not completely out of reach.”

Regarding a possible new format, Louzán explained:

“The current rules allow the top two teams from each group to qualify, along with some of the best third-placed teams. But with a different approach, it could simply be the top two teams from each group advancing. From this perspective, adjusting the format would be reasonable.”

Finally, Louzán made Spain’s position clear:

“Spain is ready to welcome either a 48-team or a 64-team World Cup, depending on which option is more suitable.”