South America’s football governing body, Conmebol, has officially proposed expanding the 2030 men’s World Cup to 64 teams.
The tournament, hosted by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, will also feature opening matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to mark the competition’s centennial anniversary.
The 2026 World Cup will already see a rise to 48 teams, but Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez believes further expansion for 2030 would make the celebration inclusive.
“This will allow all countries to have the opportunity to live the world experience and so nobody on the planet is left out of the party,” he stated during Conmebol’s congress.
Uruguayan Football Federation president Ignacio Alonso first raised the idea during a FIFA Council meeting in March. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, attending the congress, described the 2030 tournament as an “exceptional milestone.”
If approved, the expanded format would see 128 matches—double the number played in World Cups between 1998 and 2022.
Critics, however, argue that further expansion risks devaluing the qualification process. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin recently dismissed the idea as a “bad proposal,” adding, “This was maybe even more surprising for me than you.”
The 2030 edition will already be historic, spanning three continents for the first time.
Hosts Spain, Morocco, and Portugal were announced in 2024, with additional matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to honor the inaugural tournament held in 1930.
Uruguay, the first-ever winners, will host one match as part of the centenary celebration.
