World Cup 2026: Semi-finals build-up and Infantino hints at 64-team expansion
Quick summary
A live blog covering the build-up to the World Cup 2026 semi-finals, while FIFA president Gianni Infantino hinted at expanding the tournament to 64 teams in the future.
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Attributed to original sourceLatest news as final week of World Cup gets under way
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I must say I’m torn. Of course, I’m prejudiced against it simply by virtue of Infantino wanting it, but I can’t deny that expanded competitions – in the Euros too – give us something different, countries otherwise excluded enriching the experience. Moreover, were we to go to 64, we’d be rid of the third-place qualification situation, which allows teams to move on having beaten the worst side in their group and no more; we’d no longer play 72 matches to lose just 16 teams. Or, in other words, an expanded field is cleaner – though qualification would be even more tedious than before, and I wonder how, infrastructurally, any host would be able to facilitate so many teams, not just in terms of grounds, but hotels, training facilities, media and so on.
Let’s start with Infantino latest:
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What happened
The Guardian's live blog tracks the build-up to the blockbuster semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first edition hosted across three countries (USA, Mexico, Canada) with an expanded 48-team format. Separately, FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggested the tournament could be further expanded to 64 teams, sparking debate about the future of the competition's structure. The blog likely includes team news, tactical previews, and reactions ahead of the semi-final matches.
Chance analysis
The semi-final build-up is high-relevance for match prediction systems, providing last-minute team news, injury updates, and tactical expectations. Infantino's comment on a 64-team World Cup expansion is a long-term structural signal that could affect qualifying formats, competitive balance, and scheduling across confederations. While not immediately actionable for upcoming matches, the expansion discussion shapes the strategic landscape of international football governance.
Semi-final previews may yield lineup and injury intelligence that directly affects match predictions, while the 64-team expansion talk is a long-term governance story with no immediate match impact.
Use this live blog to update semi-final team news, injury status, and tactical expectations; Infantino's expansion comments are background governance news, not match-relevant.