FIFA kicks around proposal to double 2030 World Cup teams to 64
FIFA is considering a surprise proposal from South American football to expand the men’s 2030 World Cup to 64 teams – doubling the size of the 2022 edition in Qatar.
“During the ‘miscellaneous’ section of the FIFA Council meeting, a proposal to explore a 64-team World Cup for 2030, marking the centenary of the tournament, was spontaneously raised by a Council member,” FIFA said Thursday, a day after the meeting.
“FIFA is obligated to review any proposal presented by its Council members,” the governing body added regarding the remote online session.
The proposal was put forward by Uruguay’s elected delegate, Ignacio Alonso, according to two sources familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of the discussion.
Uruguay was the original World Cup host – and trophy winner – in 1930 and is scheduled to host one game at the centenary tournament.
The first 48-team tournament will be played next year in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The 2030 World Cup is already set to be the most sprawling edition, with six host nations spread across three continents.
South American football body CONMEBOL agreed in 2023 to a FIFA-backed plan for Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to have one game each to open the tournament before it moves to the main co-hosts: Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
FIFA gave all six hosts automatic places in the tournament lineup, and the deal was seen as a win in football politics for CONMEBOL’s Paraguayan president, Alejandro Dominguez.
Expanding to 64 teams would likely guarantee all 10 CONMEBOL member countries a place in a bigger tournament. Venezuela is the only one that has never qualified for a World Cup.
If FIFA approves the move, a 64-team tournament would create 128 games – double the number played in the 64-game, 32-team format that was used from 1998 through 2022.
Adding 16 teams – beyond the 48 teams of the 2026 edition – would send hundreds more players to the World Cup at a time when player unions have criticized the relentless expansion of games and competitions without consulting their members.
However, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has enthusiastically supported expanding its tournament portfolio, which raises revenue and gives more teams the chance to qualify, citing a need to develop football globally.
Some World Cup sponsors, including Coca-Cola, Adidas, and Wanda, bought rights to the 2030 World Cup at least a decade ago, when they were paying for an expected 64-game event.
FIFA gave no timetable for a review of the proposal or a possible decision. Paraguay’s capital, Asunción, will host the next FIFA Congress of 211 member federations in May.
AP-DailySabah
