How a 64-team World Cup could transform football’s economics

What the report says

Al Jazeera, carrying a Reuters report published July 21, 2026, said FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reopened discussion about whether the men’s World Cup could eventually expand to 64 teams, even as football is still assessing the first 48-team edition. Spain, Portugal and Morocco are due to cohost most of the 2030 tournament, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay each staging an opening-round match for the centenary, but the report said confirmation is still awaited on whether that event would remain at 48 teams or grow further.

The report said a 64-team format could reshape football’s finances as much as its logistics. Easier qualification for major football nations could reduce the commercial value of regional qualifying competitions, potentially making confederations more reliant on FIFA distributions and concentrating more financial leverage in the global governing body. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa have both opposed further expansion, while Infantino has argued that smaller countries need access to the tournament to encourage development.

Under a comparable format of four-team groups followed by a 32-team knockout stage, Al Jazeera reported that a 64-team World Cup would involve 128 matches, 24 more than the 2026 tournament and twice the number played under the old 32-team model. That could add roughly another week unless FIFA compresses the schedule or runs more matches at the same time.

The article also highlighted likely pressure on stadiums, hotels, transport, training sites, volunteers, national federation budgets, domestic leagues and player welfare. Saudi Arabia’s solo hosting of the 2034 World Cup was cited as a particular test case because of venue demands, calendar issues and Ramadan timing.