The proposal, raised by Uruguay’s Ignacio Alonso, aims to mark the centenary of the World Cup but faces significant logistical and environmental challenges.
FIFA is reviewing a proposal that could see the 2030 World Cup expanded to 64 teams from the planned 48 teams as part of the tournament’s centenary celebrations. This idea was put forward by the president of the Uruguayan Football Association, Ignacio Alonso during a FIFA Council meeting that was held on March 5, 2025.
According to a The New York Times report, other attendees welcomed the proposal with “stunned silence.” However, President Gianni Infantino reportedly agreed to take the plan into consideration, continuing his push to expand the World Cup. FIFA then recently confirmed the discussion with a statement:
Also read:
“A proposal to analyze a 64-team FIFA World Cup to celebrate the centenary of the FIFA World Cup in 2030 was spontaneously raised by a FIFA Council member. It was mentioned in the ‘miscellaneous’ agenda item near the end of the FIFA Council meeting. The idea was acknowledged as FIFA has a duty to analyze any proposal from one of its Council members.”
It has already been confirmed that the 2030 World Cup will be held across six nations and three continents — Spain, Portugal, and Morocco as primary hosts, with Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay each staging an opening match. Expanding the tournament further to 64 teams will obviously increase the number of matches.
This could then exceed 128, which will surely lead to significant logistical and scheduling issues. The tournament will have to be stretched beyond six weeks which will increase concerns over environmental impact and player welfare who will have club commitments once it’s over, leading to overwork.
A senior football official spoke to The Times and called the proposal “madness.” It’s also undeniable that an expansion will affect World Cup qualifying. It will reduce the importance and then the financial benefits for all national associations, especially in South America. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar featured 32 teams and 64 matches.
The upcoming 2026 edition in North America will see a new 48-team format where 104 matches will be played. If FIFA approve the expansion to 64 teams, it would mark another major shift in the tournament structure. Even though there will be some financial and political advantages by including more nations, the feasibility of such an expansion is uncertain.
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