FIFA announced it will review a proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, proposed at a meeting in March 2025. To commemorate the centenary of the first World Cup, which took place in Uruguay, the tournament is already set to be hosted by Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, with Uruguay hosting a few games. Discussions reveal concerns over the decision being driven more by financial and political benefits rather than strictly sporting considerations, a sentiment echoing the recent history of FIFA's governance.
"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 held on March 5 2025."
"The idea was acknowledged as FIFA has a duty to analyse any proposal from one of its Council members."
"FIFA was likely to be guided by financial and political benefits as much as sporting ones when it came to taking a decision on the matter."
"[FIFA president] Mr. Infantino ... Described the proposal as an interesting one that should be analysed more closely."
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