The World Cup could possibly be set to broaden once more.
FIFA says it will evaluation a proposal to extend the variety of nations competing on the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 groups as a one-off to mark the event’s centenary.
“A proposal to research a 64-team FIFA World Cup to rejoice the centenary of the FIFA World Cup in 2030 was spontaneously raised by a FIFA Council member within the ‘miscellaneous’ agenda merchandise close to the tip of the FIFA Council assembly held on March 5, 2025,” a FIFA spokesperson instructed Reuters.
“The concept was acknowledged as FIFA has an obligation to research any proposal from certainly one of its council members.”
The 2030 World Cup might be primarily performed in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal. Nonetheless, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the place the event’s first version was staged 100 years in the past, will host three video games.
The marquee competitors already expanded from 32 to 48 groups for the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
A delegate from Uruguay, Ignacio Alonso, submitted the proposal, which left some FIFA delegates in “shocked silence,” in keeping with a report from The Athletic.
One unidentified soccer official hoped the “maddening” proposal could be “rejected as quickly as potential,” reviews Martyn Ziegler of The Occasions.
If profitable, increasing to 64 groups would end in at the least 128 matches on the 2030 World Cup. The 2022 World Cup had 64 contests, and the 2026 tourney could have 104 video games.
There are additionally issues concerning the environmental impression and potential logistical challenges that an expanded event could have.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino “acknowledged the proposal and mentioned it needs to be analyzed extra intently,” The Athletic added.
