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CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez has claimed on social media that the 2030 World Cup will expand to an unprecedented 64-team tournament. The bold declaration follows confirmation from Gianni Infantino that FIFA plans to evaluate further expansion after the groundbreaking 48-team 2026 edition in North America.
South American chief's claim
CONMEBOL president Dominguez sparked widespread speculation after claiming on social media that the 2030 World Cup will feature 64 participating nations. The centenary edition is scheduled to be co-hosted by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, alongside three ceremonial opening matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This bombshell assertion arrived shortly after the 2026 tournament in North America successfully debuted a 48-team format, which concluded with Spain crowned as champions.
Leaders address tournament growth
In a post on platform X, Dominguez declared: "In 2030, the World Cup comes to Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, a great opportunity for football, to celebrate the World Cup Centenary with a 64-team tournament."
Although there has been no official confirmation from FIFA on the matter, president Infantino previously indicated a willingness to evaluate further expansion. Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino stated: "This is certainly an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup.
"When you organise a World Cup, it's important that you organise it for the whole world. It's not just Europe and South America, but the entire world, effectively. Every nation should be able to dream of taking part in the World Cup.
"We can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it's getting higher and higher everywhere in the world. If you don't give smaller countries the chance to participate in the World Cup, they also lose the incentive to keep improving."
Format changes alter calendar
The proposal to stage a 64-team World Cup would completely overhaul the tournament structure by featuring 128 matches, double the total of the classic 32-team format. This system would likely divide the opening phase into 16 groups of four, driving the group-stage fixture list up from 72 to 96 matches. Extending the competition to six weeks risks escalating calendar friction with the clubs, as players would need to commit up to two full months, including pre-tournament preparations.
FIFA weighs expansion hurdles
FIFA's governing bodies are scheduled to convene a series of internal committee meetings to thoroughly assess the feasibility of the proposed expansion. World football's authority faces a delicate balancing act between tournament commercialisation and a fierce pushback from player unions and clubs regarding athletes' workloads. A final verdict regarding the competition format is expected to be formally announced at an upcoming FIFA Congress.
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