South American football’s governing body, CONMEBOL, has renewed calls for the 2030 FIFA World Cup to be expanded to 64 teams, barely a day after the conclusion of the first-ever 48-team tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez used social media to urge FIFA to increase the number of participating nations for the centenary edition of the competition, which will be staged across Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with opening matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.
“The next one is at home! In 2030, the World Cup is coming to Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay,” Dominguez wrote. “It will be a great opportunity for football to celebrate the World Cup’s centenary with a 64-team tournament.”
The proposal would add another 16 teams to the expanded 48-nation format introduced at the 2026 World Cup, where Spain claimed the title after defeating Argentina in the final. The centenary tournament is already set to make history by beginning with matches in the three South American nations before the competition shifts to its main hosts in Europe and Africa.
Dominguez also praised FIFA for delivering the biggest World Cup in history, writing, “We experienced a historic World Cup, the first with 48 teams, a true success. Congratulations, dear Gianni Infantino, for such great organization, and congratulations to Spain for being the new world champion.”
Any decision on further expansion rests with FIFA, although president Gianni Infantino has previously indicated the governing body would consider the idea after the 2026 tournament. “When organizing a World Cup, it’s important to organize it for the whole world, not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world. Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup,” he said.
FIFA has yet to officially respond to CONMEBOL’s latest proposal, but any move to increase the tournament to 64 teams would significantly reshape the qualification process.
