Plans to expand the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 centenary edition are gathering momentum, with CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez publicly confirming the push less than 48 hours after the World Cup 2026 final between Spain and Argentina.

This summer's tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada was already a landmark event, with 48 nations competing for the first time — up from 32 at World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Now, the debate has shifted to whether 2030 can go even further.

Dominguez makes the case

Posting on X in the immediate aftermath of the World Cup 2026 final, Dominguez wrote: "We are working to ensure that the 2030 World Cup is held with 64 national teams in homage to the Centenary of the World Cup."

He framed the expansion as a natural continuation of football's global growth: "International football grows when it opens up to the world. The expansion to 48 teams demonstrated that greater participation generates more opportunities, boosts the development of football, and turns the World Cup into a true global celebration."

"The Centenary offers us a historic opportunity to Dream Big. May the World Cup be the greatest celebration that football has ever known," he added.

CONMEBOL formally submitted a proposal to raise the field to 64 teams back in April 2025. The move would need approval from the majority of the 37-member FIFA Council to become reality.

Infantino's backing and opposition from other confederations

FIFA president Gianni Infantino — the architect of the 48-team expansion approved in 2017 — signalled openness to the idea earlier this month, arguing that smaller nations deserve a pathway to the game's biggest stage. "It's important to organise it for the whole world," he said. "If you don't give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they'll lack the incentive to keep improving."

Not everyone is convinced, however. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has spoken out against the proposal, as have the heads of CONCACAF and AFC — representing North and Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia respectively.

What a 64-team format would look like

Under the proposed structure, the tournament would feature 16 groups of four teams each. Only the top two from each group would advance to a last-32 knockout stage — eliminating the third-place lucky-loser route that featured at World Cup 2026.

The total match count would rise to 128, up from 104 this summer, meaning the competition would likely stretch beyond the five-and-a-half weeks it occupied in North America. Host stadiums would also need to increase beyond the 16 venues used in 2026, with significant infrastructure demands placed on Spain, Portugal, and Morocco — the three primary co-hosts for 2030 — alongside the centenary fixtures in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Despite the logistical hurdles, the centenary setting gives the proposal a symbolic weight that could prove persuasive — and with Infantino's appetite for expansion well established, a 64-team World Cup may arrive sooner than many expect.