FIFA proposes World Cup expansion to 64 teams

FIFA has launched a consultation process on a proposal to expand the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, with documents seen by ESPN indicating that a decision could be reached by August 14. The proposed deadline came just weeks before FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s September deadline for the organisation’s 211 member associations to approve his plan to sell a controlling stake in a commercial entity overseeing FIFA’s major competitions. Infantino’s reported $20 billion commercialisation plan faced growing opposition, with UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) all criticising or rejecting the proposal. The controversy also led to the resignation of one of Infantino’s senior advisers. Despite the backlash, FIFA circulated a research brief titled “Potential expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams” on Thursday, setting out an unusually short timeline for the consultation.

The 2026 World Cup, which was won by Spain earlier this month, marked the first edition to feature 48 teams. A further increase to 64 teams had previously been rejected privately by senior FIFA officials. However, the five-page document obtained by ESPN indicated that FIFA was now examining the possibility of another expansion. FIFA stated it was “considering the strategic implications of a possible expansion of the FIFA World Cup beyond the current format.” It added: “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.”

According to the document, FIFA approved the sharing of the research brief on July 30, with agencies expected to submit their proposals by August 7. A decision was then scheduled for August 14, while the full analysis was not expected to be completed until September 11. That timetable would leave FIFA with just eight days between the completion of the analysis and Infantino’s September 19 deadline for member associations to approve his proposed commercial plan. The potential expansion could therefore add to the pressure already facing Infantino, who dealt with resistance from several regional confederations over his plans for FIFA's commercial future. Infantino had been widely expected to secure re-election unopposed for another four-year term in 2027. However, the decision to explore a 64-team World Cup after such a short consultation process could further intensify opposition to the FIFA president.