How a 64-team World Cup could transform football’s economics
Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the cohosts of the 2030 edition, but we await confirmation of 48 or 64 competitors.
A possible expansion of the men’s World Cup to 64 teams could have major consequences for football’s finances, according to a report from Al Jazeera Latest.
The discussion comes as Spain, Portugal and Morocco prepare to co-host the 2030 edition, with the number of participating teams still unresolved. The current expectation is that organizers and football authorities will decide between 48 and 64 competitors, a choice that could reshape both the tournament’s scale and its economic footprint.
A larger field would almost certainly mean more matches, more international exposure and a wider distribution of places among national teams. It could also increase the commercial value of the event by creating additional inventory for broadcasters, sponsors and host markets. At the same time, a bigger tournament would place added demands on scheduling, logistics and infrastructure, especially across a co-hosted event spread over multiple countries.
The report points to the possibility that expanding beyond 48 teams would not simply be a sporting decision, but a financial one as well. World Cups are already among the most lucrative events in global sport, and any increase in the number of teams is likely to affect revenue streams tied to television rights, hospitality, merchandising and travel. More participating nations could also bring new audiences into the tournament, potentially broadening its appeal in markets that have rarely been represented before.
For the co-hosts, the implications could be significant. Spain, Portugal and Morocco would need to plan around the scale of the competition, balancing the opportunities of hosting more teams against the costs of staging a larger event. The final format would also influence how many cities and stadiums are involved, along with how fixtures are distributed across the tournament.
The idea of a 64-team World Cup has sparked interest because it would mark another major step in the event’s expansion. The men’s tournament already grew from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, and any further increase would deepen the debate about how much enlargement football’s premier competition can absorb without changing its competitive balance.
This article is based on a monitored public feed and summarizes a report from Al Jazeera Latest.
Source: Al Jazeera Latest - https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/7/21/how-a-64-team-world-cup-could-transform-footballs-economics?traffic_source=rss
