Goal.com
LiveTickets
US-POLITICS-ECONOMY-MILKENAFP
Nino Duit

Translated by

Is FIFA already planning a massive expansion of the World Cup field for 2030?

World Cup

FIFA is reportedly weighing a fresh expansion of the World Cup to 66 teams, with the first edition of this format potentially taking place at the 2030 tournament hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

This is according to the Spanish newspaper *As*. The plan originated from a request made by the South American football confederation CONMEBOL several months ago. The aim of expanding the tournament is to give even more smaller nations the chance to take part in the world's biggest football event. Although the idea initially received little attention, it is now gaining support from an increasing number of associations, and FIFA is said to be considering the matter.

  • Between 1998 and 2022, the World Cup featured 32 nations. The upcoming tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico will expand the field to 48 teams for the first time. The line-up includes debutants Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, as well as Haiti, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, all returning to the competition after long absences. 

    Because of the expanded field, the top two sides in each group will still advance to the knockout phase, but some third-placed teams will also progress. The report does not outline a format for a 66-nation tournament, and FIFA currently has 211 member associations.

    • Advertisement

  • 2030 World Cup: Host cities will span Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

    As things stand, the 2030 tournament is planned to feature 48 nations. Alongside hosts Spain, Portugal and Morocco, a single match will be staged in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay) and Asunción (Paraguay)—all members of South America's CONMEBOL, which had reportedly proposed an even larger 66-team format. Observers suspect that the confederation is lobbying for additional games should the tournament be expanded further. 

    The upcoming North American World Cup begins on 11 June with Mexico vs. South Africa in Mexico City and will conclude with the final in New Jersey on 19 July, a span of just over five and a half weeks.

    • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

    Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting