FIFA circulated a research brief on Thursday that sought independent agencies to assess expanding the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 teams. The study focused on a possible start with the 2030 tournament.
Agencies faced a deadline of 7 August to submit proposals. FIFA planned to select a successful bidder by 14 August. The completed analysis was scheduled for delivery on 11 September.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated earlier that the governing body would examine the idea after the 2026 tournament. He said in an interview with Swiss media outlet Bluewin, “It is definitely an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup.”
Infantino added, “When organising a World Cup, it is important to organise it for the whole world, not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world.” He noted that every nation should be able to dream of taking part.
The 2026 finals marked the first expansion from 32 teams to 48. A further increase to 64 teams would raise the total number of matches from 104 to 128.
South American confederation CONMEBOL previously proposed the 64 team format for the 2030 centenary tournament. CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez expressed support and said the event belonged to the people.
Meanwhile, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin previously labelled the proposal a “bad idea.”
The research brief asked agencies to evaluate impacts on tournament revenue from ticketing, sponsorship and media rights as well as effects on the wider football ecosystem. FIFA had not yet taken a final decision on the expansion.
