The South American proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams has suffered a major setback, as CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani publicly opposed the idea. His stance adds to growing resistance from global football leaders, including those from UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Speaking to ESPN on Tuesday, Montagliani emphasized that further expansion beyond the upcoming 48-team format would not benefit the game. “I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem,” he said, referencing the impact on national teams, club competitions, and players.
The World Cup is already set to expand from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. However, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez has proposed a further increase to 64 teams for the centenary edition in 2030 — a tournament slated to be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with ceremonial matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.
Montagliani pushed back on the timing of the proposal, saying, “We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so expanding to 64 shouldn’t even be on the table.”
AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa echoed this sentiment over the weekend. “The matter is settled,” he told AFP, warning that constant revisions could lead to chaos: “Someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams.”
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also criticized the proposal, calling it a “bad idea.”
While FIFA has yet to take an official stance, Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom confirmed that the organization will “analyse” the South American proposal.
