FIFA is exploring the possibility of increasing the number of teams at the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 and has started a consultation process to assess the proposal.
According to documents obtained by ESPN, the world football governing body could decide by August 14 whether to proceed with the next stage of the plan.
The consultation comes ahead of FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s September deadline for the organisation’s 211 member associations to vote on his proposal to sell a controlling stake in a commercial entity that manages FIFA’s major competitions.
Infantino’s reported $20 billion commercialisation plan has drawn criticism from UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), while the controversy also led to the resignation of one of his senior advisers.
Despite the opposition, FIFA distributed a research document on Thursday titled, “Potential expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams,” setting out a fast-tracked timetable for the review.
The 2026 World Cup, won by Spain earlier this month, was the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams. Although senior FIFA officials had previously ruled out a further expansion, the latest five-page document indicates that the idea is once again under consideration.
FIFA said it was “considering the strategic implications of a possible expansion of the FIFA World Cup beyond the current format.”
It further stated, “Therefore, FIFA wishes to appoint an independent agency to determine whether and how expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 participating teams, starting with the 2030 edition, would impact on the tournament proposition football ecosystem.”
The document also shows that FIFA approved the release of the research brief on July 30, with interested agencies expected to submit their proposals by August 7. A decision is scheduled for August 14, while the full study is expected to be completed on September 11.
