FIFA, the governing body for global soccer, is considering a plan that would increase the number of teams in the 2030 World Cup to 64 for a one-off expansion to mark the centenary of the event, according to four people with direct knowledge of the discussions.
The proposal has drawn the interest of Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, upending a tournament that already figures to be unwieldy and complicated because it will be played across three continents for the first time in its history.
The World Cup is the most lucrative and most watched event in sports, bringing in billions for FIFA, but the coveted nature of the competition has led to battles among nations to host it, as well as widespread allegations in the past of corruption.
The decision to award the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia was criticized by good governance organizations, after FIFA changed its own rules to allow the country to effectively secure rights without facing any competition.
Mr. Infantino has already expanded the World Cup once during his nine-year tenure, bringing the number of teams up to 48 from 32 at the next edition in 2026, which will be mostly played in the United States but also include matches in Mexico and Canada.
The proposal for a 64-team tournament came at a meeting that was drawing to a close and had reached the section of the agenda earmarked for “miscellaneous” issues when a delegate from Uruguay, Ignacio Alonso, made the proposal, reading out a prepared speech in English.
