South American football’s governing body, CONMEBOL, has formally proposed expanding the unique, six-nation 2030 men’s World Cup to 64 teams. The proposal aims to further increase participation for the tournament’s centennial anniversary, following the expansion to 48 teams set for the 2026 edition.
The 2030 World Cup is already set to be a historic event, co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with the opening three matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to commemorate the first tournament held in Uruguay in 1930.
CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez presented the 64-team proposal at the confederation’s congress on Thursday, April 10th, attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Dominguez argued the expansion would “allow all countries to have the opportunity to live the world experience and so nobody on the planet is left out of the party,” adding, “We are convinced that the centennial celebration will be unique.” The idea was reportedly first raised informally by Uruguayan FA President Ignacio Alonso at a FIFA Council meeting in March.
FIFA acknowledged the proposal on Friday, April 11th, stating it had a “duty to analyse any proposal from one of its Council members.” Infantino highlighted the “exceptional milestone” the 2030 tournament represents. The proposal could potentially be discussed at FIFA’s 75th congress in Paraguay on May 15th.
If adopted, a 64-team format would significantly increase the tournament’s scale to 128 matches, doubling the 64-game format used between 1998 and 2022, and substantially increasing the 104 matches planned for the 48-team 2026 World Cup.
The proposal has already drawn criticism. Opponents argue further expansion devalues the qualification process. Environmental group Fossil Free Football previously labelled the three-continent hosting plan a “climate nightmare,” a concern likely to be amplified by a 64-team format. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin also recently described the expansion idea as “bad.”
The decision to expand the 2026 World Cup was made by FIFA in 2017. Any further expansion for 2030 faces significant debate regarding logistics, sporting merit, and environmental impact.
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