Under the leadership of Gianni Infantino as FIFA president, soccer has undergone significant changes globally, especially with the use of technology. This period has brought a revamped FIFA Club World Cup and a range of updates for the 2026 World Cup. Looking forward, CONMEBOL is said to be advocating for further changes to enhance the tournament by the 2030 edition.
As reported by Diario Ole, CONMEBOL is proposing an expansion of the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 event. This may seem large, but it follows past expansions; the tournament increased from 24 to 32 teams in 1998 and then to 48 teams in 2026. Plans for the 2030 expansion are now being reviewed.
After the recent FIFA Council meeting, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez hinted at a potential agreement for a major change in the World Cup format. “We came here to work and had an extremely important meeting. Stay tuned because we will soon be announcing news that will impact the world,” he stated, as reported by Diario Ole.
While FIFA has not confirmed this, sources say that President Gianni Infantino is seeking support from different regions before a Council meeting next week. This upcoming meeting could reveal plans to expand the tournament to 64 teams. However, this change would only apply to the 2030 World Cup, leaving the 2026 event unchanged.
A detailed view of the FIFA World Cup Trophy.
How would the FIFA World Cup 2030 be played under the potential change?
If FIFA approves the expansion to 64 teams, the World Cup format will change significantly. The tournament would feature 16 groups instead of the usual 12, with the top two teams from each group advancing. As a result, 32 teams would move on to the second round, equaling the number that qualified for the first round in the 2022 edition.
This transformation offers a great opportunity for national teams like Venezuela, which have never qualified for a World Cup. However, it presents challenges as a single nation may struggle to host the increased number of matches in a limited timeframe. Consequently, this shift may encourage more joint bids for hosting rights, influencing the future structure of the tournament.