By rejecting the 64-team proposal, FIFA has powerfully reinforced the precedent of the 48-team format, effectively locking it in as the definitive model for the World Cup for the foreseeable future. This decision creates a new status quo that will be difficult to challenge for at least a generation.
The move to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament was the most significant change to the World Cup in decades. The immediate push by South America for a further expansion to 64 was a direct challenge to this new precedent, testing whether 48 was a final destination or just another stop on the road to a larger tournament.
The firm and unified rejection of the 64-team plan has provided a clear answer. The FIFA Council and key confederations have sent a message that the 48-team structure is the result of a carefully balanced political compromise, and they are not prepared to renegotiate it so soon.
This sets a powerful precedent for the future. Any confederation wishing to propose further expansion will now face the established history of the 64-team idea being soundly defeated. They will have to overcome not just the arguments against expansion, but also the institutional inertia that will now build around the 48-team model.
Precedent is a powerful force in any large organization. With this decision, FIFA has laid a new foundation. The 48-team World Cup is no longer just a future concept; it is now the established and defended standard.