CONMEBOL chief claims 2030 World Cup will be expanded to record 64 teams - Yahoo Sports

What the report says

Football Italia reported that CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez said the 2030 World Cup will feature 64 teams, which would make it the largest edition in the tournament’s history. The outlet said Dominguez made the claim on social media on July 20, framing the expansion as part of the centenary celebration of the World Cup. The report notes that the next men’s tournament, in 2026, has already expanded to 48 teams.

According to the Football Italia account, Dominguez referred to the 2030 event as a World Cup involving Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, while the broader hosting plan is unusual: single matches are set for those three South American countries, with Morocco, Portugal and Spain serving as the main co-hosts. The 2030 arrangement was designed in part to recognize Uruguay’s role as host of the first World Cup in 1930.

The report says a move to 64 teams would inevitably affect qualification, though it does not detail how places would be distributed among confederations. Football Italia also cited FIFA President Gianni Infantino as having previously suggested the idea could be examined after the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, saying the World Cup should be organized for the whole world and allow every nation to dream of taking part.

The development matters because the World Cup has already grown significantly over time, from smaller early formats to 24 teams in 1982, 32 from 1998, and 48 for 2026. A 64-team format would further reshape competitive balance, scheduling and qualification pathways if formally adopted by FIFA.