FIFA to study South American idea for 64-team men’s World Cup in 2030 centenary edition

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GENEVA (AP) — FIFA is looking at a surprise proposal from South American soccer to expand the men’s 2030 World Cup to 64 teams — double the size of the 2022 edition in Qatar.

“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 in the ‘miscellaneous’ agenda item near the end of the FIFA Council meeting,” soccer’s governing body said Thursday, one day after the meeting.

“The idea was acknowledged as FIFA has a duty to analyze any proposal from one of its Council members,” FIFA said about the remote online meeting.

It was suggested by the elected delegate from Uruguay, Ignacio Alonso, two people familiar with the move told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussion was confidential.

Uruguay was the original World Cup host — and trophy winner — in 1930 and is scheduled to host one game at the centenary tournament.

The first 48-team tournament will be played next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The 2030 World Cup is already set to be the most sprawling edition with six host nations spread across three continents.

South American soccer body CONMEBOL agreed in 2023 to a FIFA-backed plan for Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to have one game each to open the tournament before it moves to the main co-hosts Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

FIFA gave all six hosts automatic places in the tournament lineup and the deal was seen as a win in soccer politics for CONMEBOL’s Paraguayan president Alejandro Dominguez.

Expanding to 64 teams likely would guarantee all 10 CONMEBOL member countries a place in a bigger tournament. Venezuela is the only one that has never qualified for a World Cup.

Having 64 teams if FIFA approves the move should create a tournament of 128 games — also double the number of the 64-game, 32-team format that was played from 1998 through 2022.

Adding 16 teams — beyond the 48 teams of the 2026 edition — would send hundreds more players to the World Cup at a time when player unions have criticized a relentless expansion of games and competitions without consulting their members.

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However, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has enthusiastically supported adding to its tournament portfolio that raises revenue and gives more teams the chance to qualify, citing a need to develop soccer globally.

Some World Cup sponsors, including Coca-Cola, Adidas and Wanda, bought rights to the 2030 World Cup at least a decade ago when they were paying for an expected 64-game event.

FIFA gave no timetable for a review of the proposal and possible decision. Paraguay’s capital Asuncion hosts the next FIFA Congress of 211 member federation in May.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer