Dominguez Pushes 64-Team Format for 2030 Centenary World Cup
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez has publicly called for the 2030 FIFA World Cup to feature 64 teams, posting the declaration on platform X. The statement carries no official FIFA backing but arrives at a moment of genuine institutional debate over whether the tournament should expand beyond the 48-team format introduced at the 2026 edition in North America.
The 2030 tournament holds particular symbolic weight as the centenary of the first World Cup, which was staged in Uruguay in 1930. FIFA has confirmed the main hosting duties will be shared by Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, with Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay set to stage ceremonial opening matches - a structure that reflects both the anniversary's geographic significance and the multi-confederation coalitions now required to win hosting bids. In his post, Dominguez framed the South American venues as an opportunity to mark the centenary with an expanded competition: "In 2030, the World Cup comes to Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, a great opportunity for football, to celebrate the World Cup Centenary with a 64-team tournament." online biathlon odds
FIFA president Gianni Infantino stopped short of endorsing a specific number but signalled the question would be formally examined. Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport, Infantino said the matter "will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees" following the 2026 tournament, adding that smaller nations should retain "the incentive to keep improving" through a credible path to World Cup participation. A 64-team field would produce 128 matches across the competition - double the total of the 32-team format used through 2022 - with the group stage alone expanding from 48 to 96 matches under a 16-group structure.
The proposal faces structural obstacles that go beyond logistics. Player unions and European clubs have raised sustained objections to the expansion already enacted for 2026, and a further extension of the tournament to roughly six weeks - with pre-tournament preparation adding to players' total absence from clubs - would intensify that conflict. FIFA's internal committees are expected to assess the feasibility of further expansion after the 2026 tournament concludes, with a formal decision on the 2030 format anticipated at a subsequent FIFA Congress.
