FIFA has launched a consultation process on a proposal to expand the men’s World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, with documents seen by ESPN indicating that a decision could be reached by August 14.
The proposed deadline comes just weeks before FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s September deadline for the organisation’s 211 member associations to approve his plan to sell a controlling stake in a commercial entity overseeing FIFA’s major competitions.
Infantino’s reported $20 billion commercialisation plan has faced growing opposition, with UEFA, Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) all criticising or rejecting the proposal.
The controversy also led to the resignation of one of Infantino’s senior advisers.
Despite the backlash, FIFA circulated a research brief titled “Potential expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams” on Thursday, setting out an unusually short timeline for the consultation.
