CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez has announced that the 2030 FIFA World Cup will expand to a record 64 teams, marking a dramatic increase from the 48-nation format planned for the 2026 tournament.
The proposal, revealed via social media, would see the centenary edition become the largest in the competition’s history. Dominguez stated the expansion would celebrate 100 years of the tournament and allow more nations to participate.
Host Arrangements and Centenary Plans
The 2030 tournament will carry special significance as it marks a century since the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay. As part of the celebrations, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage single matches, while Morocco, Portugal and Spain will serve as the principal co-hosts for the main event.
This represents another step in the competition’s growth. The World Cup featured 16 teams for decades, expanded to 24 in 1982, and grew to 32 in 1998. The 2026 edition in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be the first to include 48 sides.
FIFA Position and Global Impact
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has previously suggested the possibility of further expansion. He remarked that organisers must “examine this after” the 2026 tournament, stressing the importance of allowing the “entire world” to participate rather than just traditional powerhouses from Europe and South America.
“When organising a World Cup, it’s important to organise 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,” Infantino said.
If approved, the 64-team format would fundamentally alter the qualification landscape, potentially offering additional slots to confederations currently limited to a handful of places. However, FIFA has yet to officially confirm Dominguez’s announcement, and details regarding qualification for the expanded tournament remain undetermined.