FIFA weighs further World Cup expansion after 48-team format wins fans over
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the possibility of a 64-team World Cup will be examined after this tournament concludes. Swiss outlet Bluewin asked him about the idea, and he replied that the issue “will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup.” Infantino argued that organizing the World Cup for the whole world matters and that “every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup.”
The current 48-team competition, the largest in history, drew early criticism that the tournament should stay selective and that quality would drop. Instead, debutants such as Cape Verde reaching the knockout rounds and Curaçao winning fans with their passion and kits helped win many observers over. Infantino pointed to rising standards globally, saying “the quality of the teams is extremely high – and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world.”
CONMEBOL has proposed a 64-team tournament for 2030. The proposal marks 100 years since the first World Cup in Uruguay. The 2030 event will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with the opening three matches in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
Any expansion faces pushback because the 104-game schedule already leaves players who reach the latter stages little time off before domestic seasons resume. Infantino noted that smaller countries need the incentive of participation to keep improving, but the longer format has strained player recovery time.
Haaland reflects on a life changed by the tournament
Norway’s Erling Haaland said of his experience, “I think this has changed my life, to be honest.” The striker became an even bigger global phenomenon as the internet embraced his personality in North America, even though Norway exited after a Saturday loss to England. Haaland sits on seven goals in the Golden Boot race but will not add to that total.
Golden Boot race reaches final stretch
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are tied at eight goals each. Mbappé sits just ahead because he has registered one more assist than the Argentine.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham follow on six goals apiece. Bellingham has scored four times across the last two knockout rounds.
Both Messi and Mbappé have passed Miroslav Klose’s pre-tournament record of 16 career World Cup goals. Kane remains two goals away from that previous standard.
Behind the lens with a World Cup photographer
Getty Images photographer Sarah Stier is covering 16 matches and said, “I really, really believe in the power of a still image.” She said a still can reveal “little fleeting glances, sometimes water in an athlete’s eye” and draw attention to emotion and magnitude. Getty expects more than 2.6 million images taken across the tournament by its photographers.
Stier’s matchdays begin five hours before kickoff with remote camera setup in the goals, then locker-room access, team arrivals, inspections, warmups and starting XI photos before the match. “We’re supposed to be flies on the wall,” she said, adding she avoids lingering so as not to be intrusive yet still documents sadness and heartbreak.
Canada’s last-minute winner against South Africa in the Round of 32 stood out among her assignments. Composing a shot, Stier often hears “silence” and tunes out the noise of fans. She knows within seconds whether she captured the image and sends strong frames straight to editors for captioning and distribution.
After full time she packs up and travels to the next city. Calling fellow photographers “my family while I’m away from home,” Stier described the physical and mental demands of hauling gear across time zones and relying on her team to carry her through.
Final week schedule
The first semifinal sends Spain against France tomorrow. Semifinal 2 pits England against Argentina on July 15 at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The remaining knockout fixtures will be played at Dallas’s AT&T Stadium, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium and New York/New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.