A Potential Record in the Number of Participating Teams as a Prestigious Football Tournament ApproacAs a renowned football tournament approaches its centenary, the number of participating teams may reach a historic high. The South American side has put forward a proposal that, if successful, will fundamentally transform one of the most prestigious sporting events globally.

 

As FIFA has already determined, the 2030 FIFA World Cup will adopt an unprecedented format. The matches will be held across three continents. Spain, Morocco, and Portugal will be the main host countries, while the opening match will take place in South America, specifically in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. This is clearly a commemoration of the 1930 World Cup held in Montevideo. It is worth noting that the 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and for the first time, a new format with 48 participating teams will be implemented.

However, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) aims to go a step further and use this centenary edition of the tournament to further increase the number of participating countries. Alejandro Domínguez, the president of CONMEBOL, said at the organization's general assembly on Thursday, "This will give all countries the opportunity to experience the World Cup and ensure that no one on the planet is excluded from this grand event." He added, "We firmly believe that the centenary celebration will be unique because there is only one centenary."

This proposal did not come out of the blue. According to official sources, at a FIFA Council meeting in March this year, Ignacio Alonso, the president of the Uruguayan Football Association, publicly put forward this idea in front of the representatives of the world football governing body, and it was a "spontaneous" mention at that time.

FIFA released a statement on Friday, acknowledging its responsibility to consider any proposals put forward by council members, opening the door to a potential formal debate on this matter. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who attended the CONMEBOL general assembly this week, described the 2030 World Cup as an "extraordinary milestone," referring to both its symbolic significance and its unprecedented geographical layout.

The idea of expanding the tournament is not new within FIFA. In fact, in 2017, the decision to increase the number of participating teams in the 2026 World Cup from 32 to 48 was unanimously passed, with the aim of making this most important global sporting event more inclusive.

Nevertheless, now a new possibility has emerged, that is, the number of participating teams could be further significantly increased to 64. This format would be twice the size of the format between 1998 and 2022, opening up a new situation.