FIFA Considers Ambitious Plan to Expand 2030 World Cup to 64 Teams

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Football’s governing body is reviewing a proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams to mark the centenary of the sport’s marquee event.

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“A proposal to analyse a 64-team FIFA World Cup to celebrate the centenary of the FIFA World Cup in 2030 was spontaneously raised by a FIFA Council member in the ‘miscellaneous’ agenda item near the end of the FIFA Council meeting,” the organisation confirmed in a statement on Thursday

“The idea was acknowledged as FIFA has a duty to analyse any proposal from one of its Council members.”

According to reports, the idea was suggested by Ignacio Alonso, the elected delegate from Uruguay. The New York Times reported his proposal was met with stunned silence.

The 2030 World Cup will be held in six nations across three continents, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each hosting one-off games to open the tournament before the action moves across to Morocco, Spain and Portugal.

The previous edition of the World Cup, hosted by Qatar in 2022, featured 32 teams and 64 matches, while the competition will be inflated to 48 teams next year, taking place in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

However, if FIFA approves the one-off expansion to 64 teams, the 2030 World Cup would require at least 128 games. Speaking to The Times, a senior football official called the idea “madness”.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously thrown his support behind giving more nations the chance to qualify, claiming an expanded World Cup would raise revenue and develop the sport globally. However, despite the financial and political benefits, the World Cup’s expansion would present fresh logistical challenges for organisers.

The qualification competitions, for example, would be rendered virtually meaningless, generating less income for several nations due to decreased broadcast revenue.