World football governing body, FIFA will encourage co-hosting for the 2026 World Cup that could divide the tournament up between as many as four countries.
There have been concerns about the financial burden placed on a single tournament host, and the bad publicity generated by stadiums built and then abandoned after use.
The only time FIFA has previously sanctioned co-hosting was in 2002 when Japan and South Korea staged a tournament that was widely regarded as a success.
The 2020 Euro Championship has been designated as Pan-European and is due to be staged across 13 cities and 13.