FIFA has taken a decisive step to increase the size of the 2030 World Cup, initiating formal studies to expand the tournament to 64 teams.
The structure of world football could undergo a radical transformation in the coming years. An internal FIFA document, revealed by journalist Martyn Ziegler, confirmed that football’s governing body has begun an analysis process to expand the next edition of the World Cup from 48 to 64 participating teams.
The project, titled “Potential expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams,” seeks to understand the logistical and financial implications of this change. The organization plans to hire an independent consultancy to assess how this expansion would affect the sport’s ecosystem, extending far beyond the pitch.
Structured Evaluation Phase
The search for an external agency demonstrates that the topic has moved from behind-the-scenes speculation into a technical and structured phase. Currently, the World Cup operates with a 48-team format, which was recently established.
FIFA stated:
“FIFA is considering the strategic implications of a possible expansion of the World Cup beyond the current format. Therefore, it wishes to appoint an independent agency to determine if and how expanding the World Cup from 48 to 64 participating teams, starting with the 2030 edition, would impact the tournament’s proposition and the football ecosystem.”
Representation Versus Calendar
The main internal argument for the expansion is an increase in global representation, with a focus on integrating more teams from Africa, Asia, and Oceania. However, the idea faces significant resistance from national leagues and officials concerned about the already congested international football calendar.
If the project is approved, the 2030 tournament will undergo a complete redesign of its competition format. It would be the second consecutive expansion in the competition’s history, which, for decades, maintained the classic 32-team standard before beginning its accelerated expansion process.
The discussion about the future of the World Cup remains one of the most sensitive topics in FIFA‘s management. The M360 team will continue to follow the developments of this proposal, which promises to alter the course of world football until the beginning of the next decade.
