FIFA is assessing the potential impact of expanding the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The tournament was expanded from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, increasing the number of groups from eight to 12 and adding an extra knockout round.
South American football governing body CONMEBOL formally proposed expanding the 2030 tournament to 64 teams last year, saying the move would allow more countries to take part in celebrations marking the World Cup's centennial.
"FIFA wishes to appoint an independent agency to determine whether and how expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 participating national teams, starting with the 2030 edition, would impact the tournament proposition," it said in a research brief.
The accelerated study comes as FIFA pursues plans to create a $20 billion subsidiary to manage the World Cup and its other competitions with external investors, a move that has drawn criticism and prompted UEFA to boycott FIFA events.
The analysis is intended to assess whether the proposed expansion would strengthen the tournament or whether concerns such as diluted competition, calendar congestion, operational complexity and market saturation outweigh the potential benefits.
"The final recommendation should demonstrate not only whether a 64-team tournament can generate incremental value, but whether that value is sustainable," the document said.
FIFA said a decision on selecting the agency would be made Aug. 14 and that it would have only four weeks to deliver its analysis by Sept. 11.
The 2030 World Cup will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, while Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will each host one match to mark the tournament's 100th anniversary.
Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.
