Dominguez Pushes for Expanded 64-Team Format at 2030 World Cup
Dominguez Pushes for Expanded 64-Team Format at 2030 World Cup
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez has publicly called for the 2030 FIFA World Cup to be staged as a 64-team tournament, posting the assertion on platform X. The declaration carries no official FIFA backing and remains unconfirmed by world football's governing body, though FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously indicated that further expansion would be examined following the conclusion of the 2026 edition.
Dominguez wrote: "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." The 2030 edition is the centenary of the competition and is scheduled to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with three ceremonial opening matches assigned to Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay in recognition of that historic significance. The 2026 tournament in North America was the first to operate under a 48-team format; Spain were crowned champions. netball bet online
Speaking to Swiss broadcaster Blue Sport during the 2026 tournament, Infantino stated that expansion was "certainly an issue that will be looked at and discussed in the relevant committees after this World Cup," adding that every nation should "be able to dream of taking part." A 64-team tournament would produce 128 matches across the competition - double the total of the traditional 32-team format - with an opening phase of sixteen groups of four generating 96 group-stage fixtures alone. The extended schedule would require players to commit to a competition lasting approximately six weeks, excluding pre-tournament preparations.
FIFA's internal committees are scheduled to assess the feasibility of further expansion, with a formal decision on the 2030 format expected to be announced at an upcoming FIFA Congress. Any move to increase the field would intensify an existing dispute between FIFA and European club associations over player availability and workload, a tension already heightened by the expanded 48-team structure introduced in 2026.
