UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) and CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) have clearly stated their opposition to the proposal of expanding the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 participating teams. After several of CONMEBOL’s (Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol) most influential senior officials held talks with FIFA and formally submitted the 2030 World Cup expansion plan yesterday, the proposal for a 64-team format has re-entered FIFA’s agenda. Although the 2026 World Cup, to be held next summer, has already been expanded to 48 teams—making it the largest tournament in the event’s history—this has still failed to meet CONMEBOL’s expectations. The confederation is determined to host more matches on the South American continent through the 2030 World Cup, which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the World Cup, in order to strengthen its historical heritage.
“The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930. While the 2030 tournament will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, it plans to host one opening match each in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay as a tribute. CONMEBOL hopes to further increase the tournament's scale and number of participating spots. Alejandro Domínguez, President of CONMEBOL, elaborated on this stance yesterday during a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at Trump Tower in New York,” a source stated.
“According to FIFA's statutes, the organization is obligated to consider formal proposals put forward by its member associations. However, a 64-team format is not a priority policy direction for FIFA's current management team. If the World Cup were indeed expanded to 64 teams, it would mean that nearly one-third of FIFA's 211 member associations could qualify for the final tournament, and the qualification process for traditional football powerhouses in the preliminary rounds would lose almost all suspense. It is precisely for this reason that UEFA and CONCACAF have made public statements opposing further expansion.”
“The 64-team proposal was first put forward by Ignacio Alonso, President of the Uruguayan Football Association, at the FIFA Council meeting in March this year. In May, CONMEBOL President Domínguez reiterated that the 2030 World Cup ‘should not exclude any team,’ further demonstrating CONMEBOL's firm stance in promoting the expansion.”
