FIFA president Gianni Infantino has held talks with South American leaders in New York about the possibility of expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams in 2030.
Infantino met the presidents of Uruguay and Paraguay, Conmebol chief Alejandro Domínguez, and football federation officials at Fifa’s Trump Tower offices on Tuesday.
The idea was first raised informally by the Uruguayan Football Association at a Fifa Council meeting in 2024.
While expansion is being pushed by some South American officials, senior figures elsewhere in the game remain sceptical.
A Fifa source told the Guardian: “Gianni would not get that vote through Council even if he wanted to. The overwhelming feeling around the table and not just in Europe is that 64 teams would damage the World Cup.
There’d be too many uncompetitive matches and it would risk damaging the business model.”
Next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico will already feature 48 teams and 104 matches the biggest men’s World Cup in history.
A 64-nation competition would mean 128 games, double the total staged in Qatar three years ago.
The 2030 World Cup will be staged across six nations and three continents. The opening matches will take place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay before the competition moves to Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
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South American nations would have been among the major beneficiaries of another expansion, with all 10 Conmebol members in line to qualify.
European and Concacaf opposition
The 64-team idea has drawn criticism from other confederations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Photo Credit: FIFA/X
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin called it a “bad idea” that would “reduce the quality of the tournament and undermine the qualifying competition.”
Concacaf president Victor Montagliani added: “They can study all they want, but it just doesn’t feel right.”
Both men are also Fifa vice-presidents.
Fifa is also under pressure to consider changes to its Club World Cup. The competition is due to feature 32 teams in 2029, but leading European clubs want it enlarged, citing the prize and appearance money available.
Chelsea collected £85m for winning the most recent edition, and staging the competition every two years is also being considered.
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Fifa has so far declined to comment publicly on the 64-team World Cup proposal.
