FIFA discusses 64-team World Cup in Trump Tower summit

FIFA has discussed the possibility of expanding the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams at a meeting held in Trump Tower, New York.

The proposal has been made by an influential group of leaders from the South American confederation CONMEBOL, The Athletic reports.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino held a series of meetings with a group of leading football executives and politicians from Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.

Talks are still very much at the exploratory phase, but it has been proposed that the expansion take place to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup in 1930. More discussions are planned for the week ahead.

Uruguay FA president Ignacio Alonso was the first to make the proposal at a FIFA Council meeting in March in a move that is said to have “surprised” delegates.

Momentum was gained after lobbying his CONMEBOL colleagues. In May, FIFA vice-president Alejandro Dominquez of the Paraguay FA, said: “I would like to invite you to reflect together so we can do something that the world is waiting for, that the football community deserves. It is what football teaches us — to play as a team.”

Expansion of the FIFA World Cup

The World Cup has gradually grown over the past 50 years.

As recently as 1978, it was a 16-team competition but grew to 24 teams in 1982. It would remain this way until France 98.

The 2026 World Cup, which will be held across the USA, Mexico and Canada, will have the next major expansion of the competition, with 48 teams qualifying for the tournament.

Opposition to the 64-team plan

There is significant opposition to a further expansion of the World Cup.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is one of the critics of the proposed format, claiming the quality of both the finals and the qualifying tournament would be diluted.

“I think it’s a bad idea – it’s not a good idea for the World Cup itself and it’s not a good idea for our qualifiers as well,” he said. “So, I am not supporting that idea. I don’t know where it came from but it’s strange that we didn’t know anything before this proposal at the FIFA Council.”

Similarly, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has suggested his colleagues at FIFA are getting carried away.

“It’s not a great idea. We haven’t even kicked the ball for the 48-team format, and obviously they can study all they want, but it just doesn’t feel right,” he said.

A 64-team World Cup would raise significant logistical problems, not only for teams but also for host nations. With more matches and a greater number of visiting fans, the importance of having the correct infrastructure and organisation in place will be even more critical.

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