South America Proposes 64-team 2030 World Cup

An charismatic connection to grow nan men's 2030 World Cup to 64 teams has been put guardant by South American governing assemblage Conmebol.

The tourney will beryllium hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, aft nan opening matches are held successful Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

The 2026 World Cup will beryllium nan first pinch 48 teams but Conmebol wants to grow further for 2030 to people nan competition's 100-year anniversary.

"This will let each countries to person nan opportunity to unrecorded nan world acquisition and truthful cipher connected nan satellite is near retired of nan party," said Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez astatine nan body's legislature connected Thursday.

"We are convinced that nan centennial ceremony will beryllium unsocial because 100 years are celebrated only once."

The thought was first "spontaneously raised" astatine a Fifa Council gathering successful March by Uruguayan Football Federation president Ignacio Alonso.

In a connection connected Friday, Fifa said it had a "duty to analyse immoderate connection from 1 of its Council members".

Gianni Infantino, nan president of Fifa, participated successful Thursday's Conmebol Congress and highlighted nan "exceptional milestone" nan 2030 tourney would represent.

The determination to grow nan 2026 World Cup to 48 teams was taken successful 2017 pursuing a unanimous ballot astatine a Fifa congress.

Fifa's 75th legislature will beryllium held successful Paraguay connected 15 May, erstwhile Conmebol's connection could beryllium discussed.

Should nan connection yet beryllium accepted, nan 2030 version would see 128 matches - up from nan 64-game format played betwixt 1998 and 2022.

Critics of nan description opportunity it devalues nan qualification process.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin described nan connection arsenic a "bad idea" earlier this month.

"This connection was possibly moreover much astonishing for maine than you. I deliberation it is simply a bad idea," Ceferin said astatine a news conference.

The 2030 World Cup is being held crossed 3 continents for nan first time.

Spain, Portugal and Morocco were named tourney hosts successful 2024, pinch matches to beryllium held successful Argentina and Paraguay to people nan 100-year day of nan first World Cup tournament.

Uruguay - nan inaugural winners of nan title successful 1930 - person since been announced arsenic co-hosts, pinch nan state to big 1 game.