FIFA is reportedly looking at the possibility of expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams, a major jump from the 48-team format already set for the 2026 tournament. If that idea moved forward, the current FIFA world rankings provide a simple way to estimate which national sides would be in line for places at football’s biggest event.
Using the rankings as a guide, the strongest and most consistent teams in international football would remain safely inside the field, while a larger group of mid-ranked nations would also gain a realistic route into the competition. That would significantly widen access compared with previous editions and even beyond the already expanded 2026 setup.
Any final qualification picture would still depend on how FIFA chose to distribute places across confederations and whether rankings were used at all in the process. Rankings can offer a snapshot of form and standing, but official qualification normally comes through regional competitions and allocated berths rather than a straight ranking cutoff.
Even so, the idea of a 64-team World Cup immediately shifts the conversation toward which countries would benefit most from extra spots. An expansion on that scale would reshape the competitive landscape, giving more nations a chance to appear on the global stage while also raising fresh debate about tournament structure, balance and overall quality.
