South America proposes to host the 64-team 2030 FIFA World Cup
Kyiv • UNN
The governing body of football in South America, CONMEBOL, has officially proposed to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams to mark the 100th anniversary of the competition. The idea belongs to the president of the Uruguayan Football Federation.
The governing body of football in South America, CONMEBOL, has made an official proposal to expand the 2030 men's World Cup to 64 teams. This is reported by UNN with reference to the BBC.
Details
The tournament will be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, after the opening matches are held in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams, but CONMEBOL wants to expand the number of participants by 2030 to mark the 100th anniversary of the competition.
This will allow all countries to have the opportunity to join the global experience so that no one on the planet is left out.
"We are convinced that the centenary celebration will be unique, as 100 years is celebrated only once," the statement said.
Whose idea is this?
For the first time, this idea was "spontaneously" put forward at a FIFA Council meeting in March by the President of the Uruguayan Football Federation, Ignacio Alonso.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who attended the CONMEBOL Congress on Thursday, stressed that the 2030 tournament will be an "exceptional milestone."
If the proposal is adopted, the 2030 World Cup will include 128 matches - compared to the 64 matches held between 1998 and 2022.
Criticism of CONMEBOL's idea
Critics of the expansion say it devalues the qualification process.
UEFA President Alexander Čeferin earlier this month called the proposal a "bad idea."
"This proposal was perhaps even more unexpected for me than for you. I think it's a bad idea," Čeferin said at a press conference.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup will be held on three continents for the first time.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco were named as hosts of the tournament in 2024, with matches taking place in Argentina and Paraguay to mark the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup tournament.
Uruguay - the first winner of the competition in 1930 - has since been announced as a co-host, and the country will host one match.
Addendum
The UK is likely to host the 2035 Women's World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced that the United Kingdom is the sole candidate to host the tournament.
