South America Association demands World Cup 2030 with 64 teams

The President of the South American Conmebol has spoken out for a tournament with 64 teams at the 2030 World Cup.

Alejandro Dominguez said at the Conmebol congress, which is comparable to the UEFA in Europe: “We are calling for a tournament with 64 teams on three continents.” All countries should have the opportunity to take part in this global event of the Hundred Year of the World Cup. Dominguez emphasized: Even if the World Cup is held everywhere: it is our party. “

The first World Cup took place in Uruguay in 1930, at that time with 13 teams. However, a South American application for the World Cup 2030 hundred years later had no chance. In the end, however, the FIFA at least decided to play an opening game on the occasion of the anniversary in Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. Now it is clear: more is desired – much more.

Uruguays Association president With the first advance in March

At the beginning of March, Uruguay’s association president Ignacio Alonso had made the proposal in the FIFA Council to carry out the 2030 World Cup with 64 teams. At the time, FIFA confirmed on request that this idea was discussed. “A FIFA council member spontaneously proposed under the agenda item ‘Miscellaneous’, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the FIFA World Championship in 2030, the possibility of leaving the World Cup with 64 teams“FIFA wrote.

According to information from the sports show, the fact that it was really a “spontaneous proposal” is doubted in the FIFA area. It would be very unusual if FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the Conmebol tip or both of them had not been informed about the “spontaneous proposal”, said a FIFA council member in an interview with the sports show.

Ceferin: “I think that’s a bad idea”

Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin, who is automatically a FIFA Vice President and also member of the FIFA Council, said last week at the UEFA congress in Belgrade about the idea of ​​a World Cup with 64 teams: “I think this is a bad idea, both for the World Cup and for our qualification competition. That’s why I don’t support it. I don’t know where the idea comes from. But it is strange that we didn’t know anything before this proposal in the FIFA Council.”

For the World Cup 2026, the World Cup is expanded from 32 to 48 teams. For the continental associations, it is becoming increasingly difficult to organize athletically sensible qualification competitions, for which transmission rights, sponsorship packages and tickets can be sold.

64 teams would be a doubling compared to 2022

A World Cup with 64 teams would be a doubling compared to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and could mean the unprecedented number of 128 games. For comparison: The EM 2024 in Germany had 24 teams and 51 games.

But it is clear that the idea is in the world and is seriously considered. “The idea was noted because FIFA has the obligation to check every proposal of a member“, the FIFA said. An expansion of the tournament would have to decide on the FIFA Council, in which DFB President Bernd Neuendorf is also a member. He was elected to the committee for four years at the UEFA Congress.

World Cup 2030 will be logistical anyway Challenge

According to previous planning, the 2030 World Cup with 48 teams in Spain, Portugal and Morocco takes place. There is also an opening game in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. The teams of all six countries are automatically qualified. The tournament was awarded the 2034 World Cup (Saudi Arabia) at the same time, which was the criticism of human rights organizations, sports law experts and the Norwegian association. The DFB agreed in the FIFA Council and FIFA Congress.

Organizationally, it will be a big task in the game plan to keep the sporting disadvantage of the teams small, who have to fly from their first games in South America to their second games to Europe or Africa. “The planned schedule provides for about eleven to twelve days for travel and resting phases before the second game of the six teams playing in South America“FIFA said.

The other teams that are already in Europe and Africa should only be available for five to six days. The previous plan:

The tournament takes more than six weeks, in 2026 there are just over five. However, the player’s gathering phase should remain the same. The teams that play in South America have less time for test games or preparation.

It is not yet known whether the additional games could be accommodated to 64 teams during an expansion to 64 teams without reducing the previous schedule.