FIFA has initiated a consultation phase regarding the potential expansion of the men’s World Cup to 64 teams, with documents reviewed by ESPN indicating a decision is expected by August 14.
This deadline is set a month before FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s timeline for the 211 member associations to approve his proposal to sell a controlling stake in FIFA’s major competitions.
Infantino’s $20 billion sell-off plan appears to be faltering, following strong rejections from UEFA, Concacaf, and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), along with the resignation of his senior advisor over the proposal.
Despite significant opposition to privatizing a stake in the World Cup, FIFA issued a research brief titled “Potential Expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 64 Teams” on Thursday, providing only 15 days to reach a conclusion.
The 2026 men’s World Cup, which was won by Spain earlier this month, marked the inaugural 48-team tournament, with prior suggestions for expanding to 64 teams dismissed by senior FIFA officials.
In the five-page document obtained by ESPN, FIFA states it is “considering the strategic implications of a possible expansion of the FIFA World Cup beyond the current format.”
“Therefore, FIFA intends to appoint an independent agency to evaluate how expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, beginning with the 2030 edition, would affect the tournament and the football ecosystem,” the document explained.
The research brief was authorized for distribution on July 30, with proposals from agencies due on August 7.
A decision from FIFA is expected on August 14, followed by a comprehensive analysis on September 11—eight days prior to Infantino’s deadline regarding his sell-off proposal.
Infantino faces growing pressure from regional confederations, and although he was anticipated to be reelected unopposed for another four-year term in 2027, the brief consultation period for the World Cup expansion may intensify opposition against him.
– FIFA defends World Cup private equity plan: ‘Nobody is selling football’
– Gianni Infantino faces another setback as AFC rejects World Cup expansion plans
The most contentious aspect of the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) was the idea of selling minority stakes to private investors. Thrive Eternal, a company founded by Joshua Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is expected to head the investor group, according to FIFA.
UEFA, which plans to boycott FIFA competitions until the FFE proposal is withdrawn, along with the AFC and Concacaf, have outright rejected these plans.
Carlos Cordeiro, Infantino’s senior advisor, also announced his resignation, referring to the FFE proposal as “a bad deal for football.”
UEFA highlighted concerns regarding the potential for larger and more frequent tournaments if private equity were to influence the organization.
The AFC’s statement was particularly harsh, calling for an “urgent review” of FIFA’s governance framework and noting, “This isn’t the first instance where major stakeholders have been presented with significant initiatives after the direction seems predetermined.”
Information from PA contributed to this report.