Plans are discussed
Will the World Cup soon take place with even more teams?
24.09.2025 – 10:36 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
There were still 32 teams in Qatar, in the USA, Mexico and Canada there will soon be 48th and at the World Cup after next?
FIFA spoke to representatives from politics and associations in New York on Tuesday about a possible expansion of the 2030 World Cup. Specifically, it was about the idea of expanding the tournament to 64 teams. The talks took place at the suggestion of the South American continental association Conmebol, and FIFA boss Gianni Infantino was also on site.
Conmebol President Alejandro Domínguez believed in “a historical World Cup 2030”. There, among other things, the heads of state of Uruguay (Yamandú Orsi) and Paraguay (Santiago Peña) as well as association representatives from Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay advertised them. Argentina’s President Javier Milei was missing due to an appointment with former US President Donald Trump.
The proposal from South America has been on the table since March. Domínguez wrote after the meeting: “We call to dream great. Because when football is lived by everyone, the festival is truly global.”
If the plan is implemented, the World Cup would first include 128 games. So far it is planned that in 2030 only one game takes place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. The other games are to be distributed to the main hosts of Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The background is the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup, which was held in Uruguay in 1930.
In Europe in particular, the advance encounters criticism. The 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico will take place with 48 teams – a record. Now the next increase could follow. There were still 32 teams in Qatar three years ago.