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CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez claimed on social media that the 2030 World Cup would expand to an unprecedented 64-team tournament. The bold statement follows Gianni Infantino’s confirmation that FIFA is considering further expansion following the groundbreaking 48-team 2026 edition in North America.
The claim of the South American chef
CONMEBOL president Dominguez sparked widespread speculation after claiming on social media that the 2030 World Cup would feature 64 participating nations. The centenary edition is set to be co-hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, along with three opening ceremony matches in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The explosive claim came shortly after the 2026 tournament in North America successfully launched a 48-team format, which concluded with Spain being crowned champions.
Executives address tournament growth
In a post on the
Although there has been no official confirmation from FIFA on the matter, President Infantino had previously indicated his willingness to evaluate further expansion. Speaking to the Swiss channel Blue SportsInfantino said: “It is certainly an issue that will be examined and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup.
“When you organize a World Cup, it is important that you organize it for the whole world. It is not just about Europe and South America, but the whole world. Every nation should be able to dream of participating in the World Cup.
“We can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it is getting higher and higher all over the world. If you don’t give small countries the chance to participate in the World Cup, they also lose the motivation to continue improving.”
Format changes modify the calendar
The proposal to hold a 64-team World Cup would completely overhaul the structure of the tournament by offering 128 matches, double the total of the classic 32-team format. This system would likely divide the opening phase into 16 groups of four, increasing the group stage schedule from 72 to 96 matches. Extending the competition to six weeks risks worsening calendar frictions with clubs, as players would have to commit up to two full months, including pre-tournament preparations.
FIFA assesses obstacles to expansion
FIFA’s governing bodies are expected to convene a series of internal committee meetings to thoroughly assess the feasibility of the proposed expansion. World football’s governing body faces a delicate balancing act between the commercialization of tournaments and strong pushback from players’ unions and clubs over athletes’ workloads. The final verdict on the competition format is expected to be officially announced at an upcoming FIFA Congress.
