FIFA studies expanding 2030 World Cup to 64 teams: Reuters
FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
FIFA is evaluating whether to expand the men's World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament, according to a document reviewed by Reuters, a proposal that could significantly reshape soccer's premier event as it marks its 100th anniversary.
World soccer's governing body is seeking to hire an independent agency to study the potential expansion, which would add 16 more teams to a tournament that is already growing from 32 to 48 nations beginning with the 2026 World Cup.
What they're saying:
"FIFA wishes to appoint an independent agency to determine whether and how expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 participating national teams, starting with the 2030 edition, would impact on the tournament proposition," FIFA said in a research brief.
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Dig deeper:
The proposal follows an official recommendation from South American soccer confederation CONMEBOL, which last year called for a 64-team tournament in 2030 to allow more nations to take part in the centennial celebration of the World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is already set to be the largest in tournament history, expanding to 48 teams, 104 matches and more than five weeks of competition after nearly three decades with a 32-team format.
The study also comes as FIFA moves forward with plans to establish a $20 billion subsidiary to manage the World Cup and other competitions with outside investors, a proposal that has drawn criticism and prompted UEFA to boycott some FIFA events.
Reuters said it has contacted FIFA for comment.
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The other side:
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said last year that expanding the World Cup to 64 teams was "not a good idea."
UEFA's stance has not changed, while Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also expressed opposition last year, questioning how much further the tournament could continue to expand.
What's next:
According to FIFA's proposal, the analysis will evaluate whether a 64-team World Cup would strengthen the tournament or whether concerns such as reduced competitive quality, a more crowded international calendar, operational challenges and market saturation would outweigh any potential benefits.
The review will examine the impact on the competition itself, competitive balance, qualification, player welfare and the international match calendar. It will also estimate potential revenue from ticket sales, sponsorships and media rights under an expanded format.
"The final recommendation should demonstrate not only whether a 64-team tournament can generate incremental value, but whether that value is sustainable," the document states.
FIFA said it plans to select the independent agency on Aug. 14, with the group expected to complete its analysis by Sept. 11.
The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each staging one match to commemorate the tournament's 100th anniversary.
The Source: Reuters contributed to this report. This story is based primarily on reporting by Reuters, which reviewed a FIFA research document outlining plans to study a possible expansion of the 2030 FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams. This story was reported from Los Angeles.