FIFA Adds More Countries to World Cup, Millions More in Revenue

FIFA announced Tuesday the soccer World Cup will go from 32 participating countries to 48, in a move widely referred to as a more inclusive measure, but is really motivated by acquiring millions of dollars more in increased numbers of matches and broadcasting rights, according to an investigation by AFP.

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For the World Cup scheduled for 2026, for which the host country has not been named, there will be 80 matches played by 48 teams, compared to the current figures of 64 matches played by 32 nations.

Gianni Infantino, head of FIFA, said the new format will increase the public interest in the sport and the event, which is one of the most popular sports competitions around the world and will give more countries hope of being part of it.

According to a confidential document seen and reported by AFP, this type of Wold Cup secures US$640 million more in comparison to the 2018 World Cup to be played in Russia.

The broadcasting rights for the matches will rise to US$505 million, while marketing revenues will spike to US$370 million, according to an internal FIFA analysis.

The move was passed unanimously by the governing body inside FIFA.

After FIFA lost two of his most important sponsors, Sony and Emirates, rumors began spreading that the organization needed more than the approved budget to organize the events around the World Cup.

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Infantino said that in the case that the event requires more money, they would consider "a co-organization" by two or three countries.

With this announcement, Infantino wins a personal bet he made once he took up the post of leading the soccer organization less than a year ago with the promise of strong reforms.

According to AFP, Infantino took his unpopular proposal and turned to international soccer legends, such as the Argentine Diego Maradona and the Frenchman David Trezeguet, to influence public opinion and reach a consensus.

The first qualifying rounds will be made up of 16 groups of three teams each, and the tournament will not change its 32-day duration and 12 host stadiums. Thirteen teams participated in the first tournament in 1930, then 24 in 1982, and 32 have been competing since 1998.

FIFA hasn't announced how many extra qualifying spots each continent will receive.

Also, Infantino had suggested before that FIFA could implement penalty definitions for matches that end in a draw, but the decision was not confirmed by the official.