The 2026 World Cup may have only just finished, but attention is beginning to turn to the next World Cup in four years time
The next World Cup will feature 64 teams, according to CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez. This summer’s competition in the USA, Mexico and Canada was the first tournament to run with the expanded 48-team format.
Spain edged Argentina in an, at times, ugly final, bringing down the curtain on a competition which featured 104 matches. The next tournament could be even more intense as the bulk of the games will feature in Spain, Morocco and Portugal, while the opening three matches will take place in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has suggested a 64-nation tournament will be considered, but admitted plenty will need to be assessed and investigated before another expansion takes place. Nevertheless, Dominguez did not appear to get this message, as he confidently asserted 64 countries will battle for glory in 2030.
JOIN OUR WALES FOOTBALL FB PAGE! Get latest news, analysis and more on The Dragons
Shortly after the final, Dominguez posted on X: “The next one is played at home! In 2030, the World Cup comes to Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, a great opportunity for soccer, to celebrate the Centenary of the World Cup with a competition featuring 64 teams.”
The previous day, he shared a similar message ahead of the World Cup final. His language, though, was considerably more cautious than his latest statement, reports the Mirror.
He posted: “We are living through a historic World Cup, the first with 48 teams, a true success. Congratulations dear Gianni Infantino and to all the friends at FIFA for such a great organisation, and congratulations Spain for being the new world champion.
“In 2030, we’ll see you at home with the dream of playing it with 64 teams to celebrate the centenary of the World Cup!”.
His language in the initial post, describing the 64-team format as a “dream” at present, indicates it remains under consideration. This echoes Infantino’s own remarks when first questioned about the expanded tournament.
When pressed on the matter, Infantino told Blue Sport: “These are all issues that we will be examining after the World Cup. When organising a World Cup, it’s important to organise it for the whole world – not just Europe and South America, but effectively the entire world.
“Every nation should be allowed to dream of participating in the World Cup. You can see that the quality of the teams is extremely high, and it’s getting higher and higher, all over the world.
“If you don’t give smaller countries a chance to participate in the World Cup, they’ll lack the incentive to keep improving.”
The 64-team proposal has faced considerable opposition, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin branding it a “bad idea” while Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation, warned it would trigger “chaos” within international football.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
Shoppers can now upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £6 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login