After receiving a formal pitch from a group of prominent South American leaders, including heads of state from Paragauay and Uruguay, FIFA, the organisation that organises the World Cup, reportedly held talks about increasing the number of teams competing in the men’s division from 48 to 64 in 2030. Football supporters have responded by venting their ire on social media about the notion.
The head of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and senior football executives from the South American confederation CONMEBOL, which is in charge of managing important competitions like the Copa America and Copa Libertadores, were also among the aforementioned group of South American leaders.
During discussions at FIFA’s New York City headquarters within Trump Tower, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Mattias Grafstrom have discussed the possible future adjustments with several South American football officials. As of right now, additional talks pertaining to the 2030 World Cup are scheduled to take place throughout the next week or so in order to work out the nuances.
FIFA and Infantino Talk About the 2030 World Cup’s 64-Team Format
The hosts for the competition’s 24th installment in 2030 have already been revealed, adding to the mounting anticipation that World Cup action will resume next summer. Delegates from South America, one of the three continents where it will be played, are hoping to witness significant improvements.
Naturally, it includes the 64-team proposal, which was first put out by Uruguayan Football Association President Ignacio Alonso during a FIFA Council meeting in March, according to The New York Times. The concept allegedly stunned a lot of people on the call, but FIFA has an obligation to take into account all suggestions, regardless of how big or small.
Alejandro Dominguez, the president of the CONMEBOL organisation in South America, presented the one-time suggestion to CONMEBOL’s Congress a month later as a way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the World Cup. At the FIFA Congress in May, Dominguez asked the football federation to take into account the novel strategy in honour of the competition’s 100th anniversary, which was held in Uruguay in 1930.
“I want to ask you all to think together so that we may accomplish what the football community deserves and the world has been waiting for. Playing as a team is what football teaches us,” Dominguez stated, according to The Athletic. Infantino replied that there should be celebrations for the centenary World Cup.
“I would want to emphasise Alejandro’s remarks. He urged us all to consider how we may truly honour it with the celebration it merits. Therefore, all ideas are good.
Increases in the number of participating teams have been uncommon in recent decades. The number of teams was raised from 16 to 24 in 1982, then to 32 16 years later. The 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first to have 36 teams.
The football echo chamber has not taken kindly to the news that 64 teams—more than 30% of FIFA’s 211 national teams—will be competing. One fan responded to the possible changes on X (previously Twitter) by writing: “Done with international football if this happens,” while another fan commented: “This would be a horrible idea.”
FIFA has done a fantastic job of preserving the World Cup tradition thus far, but one ardent supporter has warned that expanding the field to 64 teams—a plan that hasn’t been implemented yet—could damage their standing. As a fourth fan concluded, “Didn’t know the game could be more gone than it already is but here we are!” they declared, “FIFA is on a mission to ruin the legacy of the World Cup.”
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