2030 World Cup expansion opposed by CONCACAF and AFC presidents

CONMEBOL's proposal for the 2030 World Cup to be expanded to 64 teams has drawn opposition from CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, UEFA president Alexander Ceferin and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

South American governing body CONMEBOL formally proposed the expansion at the start of April, with a view to marking the 100-year anniversary of the competition by ensuring “nobody on the planet is left out of the party.”

However, the proposition has been subjected to widespread criticism by several other governing bodies.

In an interview with ESPN, CONCACAF president Montagliani said: "I don't believe expanding the men's World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players.

"We haven't even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don't think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table."

UEFA's Ceferin, who also acts as FIFA vice-president, described the proposal as "not a good idea", while AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned the expansion would result in "chaos".

In 2026, the World Cup will increase from 32 teams to 48 and feature 104 matches being played across 16 host cities.

If the proposal of a further expansion was to be unanimously agreed, the 2030 edition would involve an eye-watering 128 matches. It's expected that the topic of increasing the number of teams to 64 will be discussed at FIFA’s upcoming 75th Congress, which will be held in Asuncion, Paraguay in May.

The 2030 World Cup is set to be hosted by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, while the opening matches of the tournament will be staged in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

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Jaquob Crooke

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