FIFA president Gianni Infantino met with CONMEBOL leaders in New York on Tuesday as the South American confederation pushed a proposal to expand the already sprawling 2030 World Cup – set to feature six host nations across three continents – from 48 to a proposed 64 teams, a move that would guarantee all 10 CONMEBOL members a spot.
AFP'We believe in a historic 2030 World Cup!'
Alejandro Domínguez, the President of the South American football governing body, along with the leaders of the Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay federations, traveled to New York to meet with the FIFA president to continue their pitch, first proposed in March. It was the first time the plan was formally presented to Infantino.
"We believe in a historic 2030 World Cup!" Domínguez said in a social media post after the meeting. "Thank you, President Gianni Infantino, for welcoming us and sharing this journey toward the centennial of football's greatest celebration. We want to call for unity, creativity, and believing big. Because when football is shared by everyone, the celebration is truly global."
AdvertisementAFPSpanning continents
If approved, it would mark the second expansion in a decade, after FIFA kept the same format from 1998 until the upcoming 48-team edition in 2026.
With the tournament being the 100-year anniversary of the inaugural World Cup, FIFA is hosting matches across three continents in Europe, South America, and Africa. Uruguay, the original hosts in the 1930 edition, will get one game with Paraguay, Argentina, Morocco, Spain, and Portugal all serving as co-hosts.
In addition to the FA presidents joining, the President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, and the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, also joined in the presentation. Argentina FA president Claudio Chiqui Tapia shared his thoughts after the meeting.
"I had the honor of being part of the FIFA summit, organized by Gianni Infantino, with the goal of starting to organize what will be the 2030 World Cup. It was truly a pleasure to have represented our country at this important meeting," Tapia posted on social media. "We are family, and we have done our part to request this meeting so our dream can become reality."
'This cannot be just another event'
FIFA general secretary Mattias Grafström was also in attendance. If FIFA gives approval to the proposal, it would expand the tournament to 128 matches – which is double the number played during the World Cups between 1998 to 2022. Dominguez said FIFA should act due to the historical significance of the World Cup.
"As we get closer to the date, we must reiterate that this cannot be just another event, it cannot be just another World Cup," Domínguez said. "We believe this is a once-in-a-century opportunity to have the group stage matches played in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay."
Critics of the proposal
While CONMEBOL is aligned with the push for more teams, the proposal has been met by criticism from other FIFA federations. When the proposal initially came about, UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin called it a "bad idea."
"This proposal was maybe even more surprising for me than you," Čeferin said at a news conference after UEFA's annual meeting in Belgrade, Serbia. "I think it is a bad idea."
Detractors argue the expansion would dilute the quality of play and lessen the importance of qualifying.
