FIFA has dismissed the idea of expanding the World Cup format to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament, which marks the centennial celebration of the first World Cup held in 1930. Discussions involving FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Alejandro Dominguez, President of CONMEBOL, took place in New York regarding the expansion proposal. The upcoming 2026 World Cup is already set to feature 48 teams, a significant increase from the traditional 32 teams that the tournament had since 1998.

The 2030 World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with some matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay to commemorate 100 years of the tournament. While the proposal suggested that expanding to 64 teams would result in a record 128 matches, internal reports indicate that there is significant opposition against such a change, primarily concerned about maintaining a competitive standard. According to sources, the overwhelming sentiment is that expanding the tournament could lead to a decline in quality.

As Claudio Chiqui Tapia, President of the Argentina FA, emphasized, “I had the honor of being part of the FIFA summit, aimed at starting to organize the 2030 World Cup. It was a pleasure to represent our country at this significant meeting.”