A key voice in global football governance, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani, has firmly rejected a South American proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams. Speaking to ESPN, Montagliani said he does not support the idea, warning that it could harm the tournament and the overall balance of the football ecosystem, which includes national teams, clubs, leagues and players. His rejection adds to growing international opposition, echoing the positions already taken by UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation.
Montagliani, who oversees football in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, emphasized that the football world has not even tested the upcoming 48-team format set for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canad,a and Mexico. He questioned the logic of pushing for yet another expansion before the next edition has even taken place.
The proposal for a 64-team tournament came from CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez. He suggested the move could be a special, one-time expansion to mark the World Cup’s 100th anniversary. The centenary tournament will be hosted in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, with additional opening matches taking place in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
However, many top football leaders remain unconvinced. On Saturday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa told AFP that he personally does not support the idea. He reminded reporters that the format for the 2030 World Cup had already been agreed upon, with 48 participating teams, and warned that constantly reopening the discussion could lead to absurd scenarios like expanding to 132 teams. He said that would risk creating chaos rather than celebration.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was also quick to dismiss the idea, describing the 64-team suggestion as a “bad idea.”
FIFA has yet to make an official decision. Its secretary general, Mattias Grafstrom, stated that the organization would take time to analyze the proposal coming from South America. But with multiple major football confederations lining up in opposition, the path toward a supersized centenary World Cup appears increasingly uncertain.
