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Even before FIFA gets a 48-team World Cup in the books, the organization is already considering expansion beyond that.
The soccer governing body, and particularly its president Gianni Infantino, heard a formal presentation Tuesday in New York from CONMEBOL, the South American federation, about the possibility of a 64-team tournament in 2030, advancing upon a proposal initially made in the spring. That event, marking the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup in Uruguay, will be held in six different countries spanning three continents—including Uruguay and two others in South America. CONMEBOL is seeking a tournament to match that expansive vision.
“We want to call for unity, creativity, and believing big,” CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez said in a social media post. “Because when football is shared by everyone, the celebration is truly global.”
Next year’s men’s World Cup in North America, primarily happening in the U.S., will involve 48 teams after FIFA has used a 32-team format since 1998. There are already lofty expectations for that event, including potentially setting a global television viewership record, something that helps inform the goal of pushing even further for 2030.
An expansion of the sport’s premier tournament, however, would further stress an already crowded global calendar that has sparked widespread pushback from players trying to balance professional and national-team duties with their own physical and mental health. Several other major events, including the FIFA-run Club World Cup, are in the midst of their own expansions, further compressing the calendar.
Along similar lines, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin earlier this year called a 64-team World Cup format a “bad idea.”
A 64-team tournament would require 128 matches to complete, also double the size of the format used between 1998 and 2022.
The meeting in New York, however, included national heads of state from Uruguay and Paraguay accompanying CONMEBOL leaders, signifying the weight being put behind the proposal. FIFA has yet to render a decision.
“As we get closer to the date, we must reiterate that this cannot be just another event, it cannot be just another World Cup,” Domínguez said. “We believe this is a once-in-a-century opportunity.”
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