FIFA and Conmebol discuss World Cup expansion to 64 teams
This is the first time that Conmebol leaders have presented the proposal directly to Infantino after it was first introduced in March by a delegate from Uruguay during an online meeting of the FIFA Council.
BERLIN - FIFA president Gianni Infantino met with Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez in New York on Tuesday evening to discuss the expansion of the men's World Cup to 64 teams in 2030, German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
Federation presidents of Argentina and Uruguay, as well as the President of Paraguay, Santiago Pena, and of Uruguay, Yamandu Orsi were also present at the meeting.
This is the first time that Conmebol leaders have presented the proposal directly to Infantino after it was first introduced in March by a delegate from Uruguay during an online meeting of the FIFA Council.
"We believe in a historic 2030 World Cup," Dominguez said on Instagram as he shared a picture with Infantino and other South American top officials.
The La Nacion newspaper said that Infantino was the one who set up the meeting and that he supports the plan. There was already an expansion from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
If FIFA approves the proposal for a further expansion, it would create a tournament with 128 matches, double the number of the 64-game format that was played from 1998 through 2022.
The 2030 World Cup will have six host nations spread across three continents.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain.
However, in honour of the centenary of the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, a special match and centenary celebration will be held in Urugauy, the first host nation. Argentina and Paraguay will also host one match each. - BERNAMA-dpa
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