World Cup: FIFA studying impact of expanding to 64 teams for 2030 edition

What the report says

FIFA is examining whether to expand the men’s World Cup from 48 teams to 64 for the 2030 edition, according to a Reuters report published by Al Jazeera. The governing body said it wants an independent agency to study how such a change would affect the tournament, including competition quality, qualification, player welfare, logistics and the international calendar.

The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each set to stage one match to mark the tournament’s 100th anniversary. South America’s CONMEBOL has already backed the idea of a 64-team event, while several regional leaders have expressed concern about further expansion.

The move would follow the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which is the first edition to grow from 32 to 48 teams since 1998. FIFA’s study is also expected to look at possible revenues from ticket sales, sponsorship and media rights, and whether any gains would be sustainable.

The review comes as FIFA is also facing criticism over other structural plans, including a proposal to create a $20bn subsidiary with outside investors. FIFA said it expects to choose the agency on August 14 and receive the analysis by September 11.