FIFA plans could win support from smaller nations due to cash boost, expert says

FIFA's controversial proposals to sell stakes in its major competitions could win support from smaller nations attracted by a major funding boost, according to a football finance expert.

Football's world governing body on Tuesday announced plans to create a commercial subsidiary to run its biggest events, including the World Cup.

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The 2026 tournament in North America generated record revenues of $15 billion, around double the total from the Qatar tournament four years earlier.

FIFA's proposals, which would drive up revenues further, have been met with fierce criticism, notably from European governing body UEFA.

However, smaller member associations stand to gain significantly from the plans -- including a potential initial windfall of $20 million each.

Kieran Maguire, associate professor in football finance at the University of Liverpool, told Britain's Press Association that the extra money on offer would be attractive.

And he believes the commercial incentives could make an expanded and more frequent World Cup more likely, just over a week after the end of the first 48-team tournament in North America.

The possibility of increasing the number of teams involved to 64 appears to be on the agenda while the previously rejected idea of a biennial tournament could resurface.

"Given that it will be mainly focusing on making money, I think we'd expect there to be an increased World Cup," Maguire said.

"Having it every two years and having it even bigger than it is now -- more matches, more tournaments -- means more money, and a lot of people will do well out of that."

Such a move would be controversial. Proposals for a biennial World Cup have been explored before but met with fierce opposition.

It would require major changes to the football calendar and there would be significant concerns over player welfare.

Maguire said: "If I'm an investor putting money in, I want to get my money out as quickly as I can.

"So therefore increasing the cycle of World Cups makes sense from the investor point of view.

"How it's going to fit in on the calendar, I don't know. If it's expanded further the clubs won't be happy because their players have missed out on the pre-season training.

"I can assure you the players' union will be opposed to it as well."