FIFA president Gianni Infantino is poised to support expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams as he seeks backing from South American federations while fighting to keep his job, The Times reported. The maneuver comes after fierce criticism of his proposal to sell a 20% private equity stake in the World Cup for $20 billion, a plan opponents say would damage one of the sport’s premier events and hurt fans. Support for Infantino during the dispute has come from Mexico, the only member of CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean soccer body) to back him, along with the Confederation of African Football, Argentina, Qatar and Morocco. Observers cited by The Times speculate Mexico’s stance may be linked to its interest in hosting the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup, while Mexican media reports also said the country is seeking support to leave CONCACAF for the South American confederation to face stronger competition. Infantino also reportedly offered Morocco the right to host the 2030 World Cup final in return for support for his reelection. The standoff has widened beyond the stake-sale plan: UEFA (European soccer governing body) has kept open the possibility of boycotting FIFA competitions, and UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC are said to be considering rival international tournaments for their combined 142 teams if that boycott goes ahead. FIFA’s presidential election is scheduled for March, with candidate proposals due by Nov. 18. The World Cup already grew from 32 teams to 48 for the 2026 edition, and critics say further expansion would dilute the quality of early matches.