World football is facing its most dramatic World Cup shake-up in history, after South American confederation president Alejandro Dominguez claimed the 2030 tournament will feature a record 64 teams.
Dominguez, who heads CONMEBOL, said on his social media accounts that the centenary edition of the World Cup – marking 100 years since the first tournament in 1930 – would be expanded beyond the already unprecedented 48-team format set for 2026.
If confirmed, the change would force a complete redesign of qualification across all continents and further extend what is already the world’s biggest football event.
Historic leap in World Cup size
The men’s World Cup began in 1930 with just 13 teams and for decades was contested by 16 nations. It was then enlarged to 24 teams for Spain 1982 and to 32 teams from France 1998 onwards, a format that lasted until Qatar 2022.
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is already set to be the largest in history, with 48 teams and an expanded match schedule.
Dominguez now says FIFA’s showpiece will grow even further for 2030, which has been designated as a special anniversary edition.
He stated that the 2030 tournament “will be held with the participation of 64 national teams”, describing the move as part of the celebration of 100 years since the World Cup’s inception.
FIFA has not yet formally announced such a change, but the suggestion builds on previous remarks from its president Gianni Infantino about making the competition accessible to more countries.
Unique multi-continent hosting plan
The 2030 World Cup is already set to break with tradition by being staged across multiple continents.
Under a proposal approved in principle by FIFA, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each host a single match early in the tournament, honouring South America’s role in launching the World Cup in 1930.
The remainder of the competition is due to be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, in what would be the first World Cup jointly staged in both Europe and Africa.
Adding 16 more teams to the 48 already agreed for 2026 would significantly complicate scheduling, logistics and travel across these six host countries, and would require agreement on a new tournament format.
Qualification system set for major overhaul
An increase to 64 teams would have far-reaching consequences for the global qualification process.
The current expansion to 48 teams has already triggered renegotiations of how many slots each confederation receives. Moving to 64 would intensify those discussions, potentially opening the door for many more nations from Asia, Africa, CONCACAF and Oceania to reach the finals.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has previously signalled support for broader participation, arguing that the World Cup should not be seen as largely a European and South American affair.
He said: “When organizing the World Cup, it is important that we organise it for the whole world, not only for Europe and South America, but for the whole world actually. Every country should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup.”
Infantino also indicated that the governing body would revisit the tournament’s structure once the 2026 edition in North America is completed, saying they “will study this matter after” that World Cup.
Any move to 64 teams would need formal approval from FIFA’s Council and would likely reignite debate over player workload, tournament length and the balance between sporting merit and commercial growth.
Centenary vision under scrutiny
Supporters of expansion argue that a 64-team World Cup would provide unprecedented representation, allowing dozens more nations and fans to experience football’s biggest stage and aligning with FIFA’s stated aim of global inclusion.
Critics, however, warn that constant enlargement risks diluting the quality of competition, straining the calendar and placing additional pressure on players and clubs.
With the 2030 finals already set to be split between South America, Europe and Africa, Dominguez’s comments suggest the World Cup’s 100th anniversary could mark not only a symbolic milestone, but also the most radical transformation the tournament has seen in its century-long history.
