Fifa is pushing ahead with plans to expand the World Cup to 64 teams from 2030 and has opened a tender to research companies to assess the economic benefits on a hugely accelerated timescale. FIFA has started a consultation process over an expansion of the Men's World Cup to 64 teams, with documents seen by ESPN aiming for a decision by Aug. 14.
The document green-lit "research brief sharing" on July 30 with "agency proposal delivery on Aug. 7." Agencies must submit their proposals for delivering the research by 7 August.
The 2026 men's World Cup, won by Spain earlier this month, was the first 48-team tournament and a further expansion to 64 teams had previously been rejected privately by senior FIFA figures. Should Fifa confirm a switch to 64 teams, it would mean a short lifespan for the 48-team format, which made its debut this summer. An expansion would make it likely that each of those countries could, as a minimum, host an entire group.
In another indication of Fifa’s questionable governance it is understood that member associations were not informed about the tender before it was issued. Infantino said on 12 July that an expansion was “an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup”.
FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino is under increasing pressure amid mounting opposition to plans to seek private investment in a company which would run the World Cup, with three confederations having rejected it and his senior adviser having quit over it. Infantino's senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, also announced his resignation on Friday morning, with the investment banker calling the FFE proposal "a bad deal for football." The cut-off date is a month before FIFA president Gianni Infantino's deadline for 211 member associations to green-light his plan to sell off a stake controlling FIFA major competitions.