FIFA and South American leaders weigh ambitious 64-team World Cup plan

CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez and officials from Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay joined the talks, alongside the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, and the President of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi. FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström also took part.

Domínguez later wrote on social media that South America wants the 2030 tournament to be “historic,” calling for unity and creativity. The plan would guarantee that all ten South American nations qualify, giving Venezuela - which so far is the only CONMEBOL country never to reach a World Cup - a place in the tournament.

A 64-team format would double the number of matches from the current 64 to 128. Early group games are expected to be staged in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay as a tribute to the centenary of the first World Cup in 1930.

Not everyone is convinced. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has dismissed the idea as a bad move. Other critics warn that such a dramatic expansion could weaken the quality of play and complicate existing qualifying systems.

FIFA has not yet made a decision. Any change would require careful planning, agreement from other continental federations, and solutions to the huge logistical challenge of staging a tournament of that scale.

If approved, the 2030 World Cup - which is already set to be shared by six countries across three continents-would become one of the most ambitious sporting events ever attempted.

Earlier, FIFA has confirmed the distribution model for its new club competition that includes US$ 1 billion prize money for the 32 participating clubs, plus a substantial and groundbreaking global solidarity model.