The FIFA World Cup will expand from 32 to 48 teams in 2026, but CONMEBOL has already proposed pushing that number even further to 64 national teams for the 2030 edition.

The president of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), Alejandro Domínguez, presented a proposal to FIFA suggesting that the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, be played as a one-time event featuring 64 nations.

The initiative was unveiled this Thursday during the 80th edition of the CONMEBOL Congress. “We are convinced that celebrating the centennial will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. That’s why we are proposing, uniquely, that this anniversary edition include 64 teams,” said Domínguez in his opening speech in the Paraguayan city of Luque.

A More Inclusive and Memorable Tournament

The South American official emphasized the importance of allowing “every country to have the opportunity to live a World Cup experience,” adding that “no corner of the planet should be left out of this celebration” of football, which will be hosted across three continents for the first time.

In 2023, the FIFA Council approved the expansion to 48 national teams for the 2026 tournament. That edition will feature 12 groups of four teams and 104 matches played over a 40-day span.

All confederations around the world had to adjust their qualification formats ahead of 2026, and the potential approval of CONMEBOL’s new proposal would bring further changes. In some regions, like South America, all affiliated nations would automatically qualify for the 2030 tournament under this new structure.

Honoring 100 Years of the World Cup

The 2030 World Cup will kick off at the historic Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, with additional opening matches in Buenos Aires and Asunción, paying tribute to the inaugural FIFA World Cup held on July 13, 1930, in Uruguay.

It will mark the first time that Morocco and Portugal host the tournament, while Spain will do so for the second time, having previously organized the 1982 World Cup, where Italy were crowned champions after defeating Germany.