Football's governing body is reportedly mulling over a revolutionary plan of hosting the World Cup every three years rather than the previously dismissed biennial plan, according to British news reports that emerged on Wednesday.
The Guardian and the Daily Mail said that such a triennial tournament could be backed by the African and Asian confederations and would be part of a radical change of the annual match calendar after 2030.
It would be a further expansion of FIFA's showcase event which in 2026 will see an increase of teams from 32 to 48.
That tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada is planned with three teams in a group but there are now ideas to have groups of four teams. If that is the case the number of matches would rise from a current 64 to 104.
All ideas are expected to further drive up the income of FIFA, which is said to have generated record revenue of some $7.5 billion from the tournament in Qatar that ended on Sunday. FIFA distributes the vast majority of its earnings to its 211 members.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who could be in office until 2031, has also announced a 32-team Club World Cup from 2025 onwards.
The World Cup has been held every four years since its inauguration in 1930. FIFA floated the idea of a switch to a biennial event but that ended over stiff resistance mainly from Europe and South America who may also oppose a triennial version.
