Luis Figo reveals he wants to expand the World Cup to '40 or 48' teams with matches played across more than one continent at his FIFA presidential manifesto launch

Luis Figo is proposing an expansion of the World Cup finals as part of his FIFA presidential manifesto which launched at Wembley Stadium on Thursday.

The tournament's current format involves 32 teams but Figo wants to add eight or 16 more, with a focus on more teams from outside of Europe getting to the finals stage.

The former Portugal international also said a greater percentage of FIFA's income should be spent on grassroots development. 

'I believe we should consider proposals to expand the competition to a 40 or even 48 team World Cup,' Figo told the press conference at Wembley. 

'Both these options are feasible with an extra three to four days of tournament play. If this expansion were to take place I believe that additional teams should come from non-European nations.'

Figo, who played in two World Cup finals with Portugal, also offered up the option of the tournament being played on more than one continent in future.

The former Barcelona and Real Madrid star suggested that FIFA could even stage two 24-team group competitions simultaneously on the two continents before the knockout stages would be held in one country. 

Blatter remains the odds-on favourite to keep hold of the role at the head of world football's governing body, but Figo believes the desire for change after investigations into corruption will help swing opinion his way. 

'This image we are aware of this organisation that leads football is not the appropriate image,' he said. 'I trust that most want change and are ready for change, a democratic change, a change so that we achieve transparency and a change that goes back to football itself.' 

Blatter is yet to launch any campaign manifesto ahead of the election but already has the support of the federations of Africa, Asia, South America and Oceania.

The election takes place at the FIFA congress in Zurich on May 29.