Expanded 64-Team World Cup Would Include Italy, Nigeria, and More Excluding Israel

Following FIFA President Gianni Infantino's proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams, a theoretical lineup of additional qualifiers for the 2026 tournament has been revealed based on current qualification standings. This expanded format would add 16 new national teams that failed to qualify under the existing 48-team structure.

In Europe, Italy, Poland, Kosovo, and Denmark would join the qualified teams, with Italy notably returning after missing three consecutive World Cups. South America would see Bolivia, Venezuela, and Peru added, with Venezuela potentially making its World Cup debut. Asia's additional qualifiers would include the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Indonesia, the latter marking a significant first appearance as an independent nation since 1938.

Africa would gain Nigeria, Gabon, and Cameroon, all with strong football traditions and previous World Cup experience. In North and Central America and the Caribbean, Jamaica and Suriname would qualify, with Suriname making its historic debut and Jamaica returning since its sole 1998 appearance. New Caledonia would also join for the first time.

Overall, the expansion would diversify the tournament by including former world champions like Italy and established teams such as Nigeria and Denmark, offering new opportunities for nations that narrowly missed qualification under the current format. Israel, however, would not be among the additional qualifiers in this scenario.

This projection is based on current qualification rankings and the proposed expansion plan, illustrating the potential impact of increasing the World Cup field to 64 teams in 2026.