Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: FIFA, Football, Gianni Infantino, FIFA World Cup, Football World Cup
Rory O'Callaghan
Topics: FIFA, Football, Gianni Infantino, FIFA World Cup, Football World Cup
FIFA is considering making a radical change to the World Cup following a proposal from several South American nations.
The next edition of the World Cup will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026. It is the first time the tournament has been hosted by three different countries.
Argentina are the defending champions, having been led to glory by Lionel Messi at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
That tournament was the last World Cup to feature 32 teams, with next summer's competition controversially expanding to 48 nations.
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Further expansion could be on the horizon following a meeting of FIFA officials on Tuesday, including president Gianni Infantino and general secretary Mattias Grafstrom.
The Athletic report that talks have been held over staging a 'historic' 64-team tournament in 2030.
It comes after a formal pitch was made by a delegation of South American nations which included heads of state from Paraguay and Uruguay, as well as senior football executives from the South American confederation CONMEBOL and the head of the Argentine FA.
The idea of a 64-team World Cup was first presented by Uruguayan FA president, Ignacio Alonso, during a FIFA Council meeting in March.
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Two months later at the FIFA Congress in Paraguay, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez urged FIFA to think about a unique approach for the centenary anniversary of world football's biggest tournament.
The World Cup has already undergone several expansions, having started out as a planned 16-team tournament back in 1930 in which only 13 nations competed after Japan, Siam and Egypt withdrew.
The 2030 World Cup format has already caused controversy, with six nations and three continents selected to host matches.
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The tournament is set to be shared across Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina – who will each have one game at the start of the event to mark the centenary – before the rest of the competition is split across Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
The convoluted hosting situation has proved advantageous for Saudi Arabia, who were confirmed as 2034 World Cup hosts after an unopposed selection process.
UEFA, CONMEBOL and CAF nations were prevented from bidding for 2030 due to being involved in the 2026 tournament, while CONCACAF nations were also unable to bid for 2034 due to hosting the North American World Cup in 2026 - leaving the door open for Saudi Arabia to host the World Cup just 12 years after neighbouring Qatar.
UEFA president and FIFA vice-president Aleksander Ceferin has publicly opposed further expansion of the World Cup, describing it as a "bad idea".
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Meanwhile, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, who is also a FIFA vice-president, has echoed Ceferin.
"Its 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," said Montagliani.
Football fans on social media have also voiced their anger at the proposals, with many claiming it could further devalue the qualification process - particularly for the biggest nations.
"Why not abandon qualifying and just invite every national to take part. Then the tournament can last six months and there’d be no need for any league football," one fan sarcastically wrote on X.
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"It's the World Cup not the f***ing Olympics," added another.
While a third wrote: "South America want all 10 of their countries to qualify for the tournament. What's the point anymore."
When asked about the 64-team idea at the FIFA Congress in May, Infantino said (via ESPN): "Every idea is a good idea."
Infantino later admitted there were already "challenges" with staging a 48-team tournament.
"If it were up to me as FIFA President, I'd organise a World Cup with 200 or 211 countries - let everyone in the world play in it," he joked (via BolaVIP) before clarifying "the World Cup is for the best teams, and they have to qualify, of course."
However, in a video released ahead of Tuesday's meeting, Infantino appeared to give the idea of further expansion encouragement.
"Today we really start working together as a team to make history. Working together to see how we can do something the world will not forget, because the people deserve it," he said.