Following CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez’s bold proposal for a 64-team 2030 World Cup, a federation president has sharply criticized the idea presented to FIFA.
The global soccer community has been abuzz in recent weeks over this significant news regarding the expansion of the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 participating nations. While this proposal has garnered interest from certain federations, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has publicly opposed CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez’s suggestion to FIFA.
The 2030 World Cup will mark the centennial of the tournament, a landmark edition set to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Notably, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay will stage the opening matches to honor the competition’s South American origins. During the 80th Ordinary Congress of CONMEBOL, Domínguez pitched this expansion as a one-time celebration of the tournament’s global legacy.
“We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because only once is 100 years old. And that is why we are proposing for the only time, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, across three simultaneous continents. This way, all countries can experience a world event, ensuring that no one on this planet is excluded from this celebration, which, although it takes place everywhere, is our party.” Domínguez emphasized during his opening speech.
Asia Pushes Back
However, this idea has not been universally welcomed. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa strongly opposed the expansion during a media appearance.
“If the issue (regarding the number of participating teams) remains open to changes, the door won’t just be open to an increase to 64 teams—someone might come and ask for 132. Where would it end? It would be chaos,” Al Khalifa stated during the media session.
He added emphatically: “Personally, I do not agree. The participation of 48 teams has already been approved.” He then shut down any possibility of further discussion: “The matter is closed,” he concluded.
Al Khalifa’s remarks resonate with those of UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, who has also criticized the proposed expansion. “I think it’s a bad idea,” Ceferin noted. “It’s not good for the World Cup itself, and it’s not good for our qualification phase either.”
FIFA, for its part, has remained noncommittal, acknowledging that it is reviewing the proposal without confirming President Gianni Infantino’s stance on the matter.
