Story perspectives

FIFA Taps Agency to Review 64-Team World Cup, Faces Boycott

7/31/2026

Summary

Story summary

FIFA launched a 15-day consultation on July 30 to hire an agency that will assess the financial impact of a 64-team World Cup, with a decision expected by August 14.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf have rejected the expansion and the €20 billion stake-sale plan, threatening to boycott FIFA events.
South American football chief Alejandro Domínguez endorsed the 64-team format, saying it would celebrate the centenary in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

History

Historical Context

FIFA’s 1998 World Cup in France marked the first expansion from 24 to 32 teams, featuring 64 matches across ten stadiums after the Stade de France was completed in November 1997. The tournament, awarded on 2 July 1992, generated unprecedented commercial growth. Today, the same governing bodies—FIFA, UEFA and CONMEBOL—debate a further 64-team expansion, echoing the 1998 controversy.

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Story summary

FIFA launched a 15-day consultation on July 30 to hire an agency that will assess the financial impact of a 64-team World Cup, with a decision expected by August 14.
UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and Concacaf have rejected the expansion and the €20 billion stake-sale plan, threatening to boycott FIFA events.
South American football chief Alejandro Domínguez endorsed the 64-team format, saying it would celebrate the centenary in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

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