The proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams is facing opposition within CONMEBOL—despite the potential benefits for South America, as it would mean more matches held in the region.
It is understood that 7 out of 10 member associations of CONMEBOL have expressed concerns about the expansion plan. The proposal is mainly promoted by the football associations of Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Under the existing arrangement, to commemorate the centenary of the World Cup, FIFA has decided that these three countries will each host one match. The 2030 World Cup is currently planned to feature 48 teams, with three matches in South America to honor the tournament’s origins (the first World Cup was held and won by Uruguay in 1930), and the rest to be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco .
FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with delegations from Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina at Trump Tower in New York last month to hold the first formal discussion on the proposal. The proposal was first informally put forward by the Uruguayan Football Association at the FIFA Council meeting last March .
The delegation attending the meeting was led by CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez, a Paraguayan. Presidents of Paraguay and Uruguay, presidents of their respective football associations, and the president of the Argentine Football Association also attended .
According to multiple sources, the proposal has not yet gained support from other South American members. Many associations worry that expansion will affect their World Cup qualifiers—a major source of income for them.
Currently, CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers adopt a home-and-away round-robin format, where 10 teams play each other, totaling 18 matches. The top six qualify directly for the World Cup, and the seventh enters the intercontinental play-offs to compete with six other teams worldwide .
South American football has strong overall strength. In the qualifiers that ended last month, Brazil only ranked fifth, while Chile, a regular World Cup participant, finished last. This fierce competition makes CONMEBOL qualifiers highly valuable commercially in terms of TV broadcasting rights and sponsorships .
If the World Cup expands to 64 teams, South America may get 8 to 9 qualifying spots, raising concerns about the diminished significance and commercial value of the qualifiers. Other South American members generally believe Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina are promoting expansion out of self-interest and will be the sole beneficiaries. It is reported that at last month’s New York meeting, these three countries even proposed hosting the entire group stage instead of allocating additional matches to other South American nations.
FIFA stated that it has an obligation to discuss the possibility of World Cup expansion with all stakeholders and consider proposals from member associations. However, the idea has sparked strong opposition. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin called it a "bad idea" that would reduce match quality, while Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said, "It just doesn’t feel right" .
The World Cup has undergone multiple expansions over decades. It increased from 16 to 24 teams in 1982, to 32 in 1998, and will adopt a 48-team format for the first time at next year’s tournament, co-hosted by three countries. Expanding to 64 teams would result in 128 matches—doubling the number of the Qatar World Cup three years ago (64 matches) and 24 more than next year’s tournament .
Any decision on expansion will be made by the FIFA Council, but the issue was not on the agenda at the latest meeting held in Zurich on October 2 .
