CONMEBOL president accidentally reveals big change for World Cup 2030 with surprising announcement
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez has hinted that the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco might be even bigger, with more teams than ever before.
The recent tournament with 48 teams just finished, but it looks like there could be an exciting change ahead. Last September, talks took place about organizing a ‘historic’ 64-team World Cup in 2030. These discussions included FIFA president Gianni Infantino and other top officials.
This idea came after a proposal from South American countries like Paraguay and Uruguay. Leaders from these nations, along with CONMEBOL officials and the head of the Argentine Football Association, were all involved. The plan for a 64-team event was first suggested by Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan FA, during a FIFA meeting last year.
A couple of months later, at the FIFA Congress in Paraguay, Dominguez encouraged FIFA to think creatively to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World Cup in a special way. Now, he has shared on social media that the 2030 tournament will likely feature 64 teams.
After Spain won the recent World Cup, 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.”
He followed up with another message, adding: “We are working to make sure the 2030 World Cup has 64 national teams to honor the Centenary. Football grows when it includes more countries. The move to 48 teams showed how greater participation helps the game grow and turns the World Cup into a true global party. The Centenary is a great chance to dream big. Let’s make this the biggest football celebration ever.”
Spain will play a key role in hosting the 2030 tournament, along with Portugal and Morocco. To mark the 100th anniversary, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay will also hold an opening match to honor the first World Cup.
In total, 11 stadiums in Spain, six in Morocco, and three in Portugal will host games. Plus, one match will be played in each of Uruguay, Argentina, and Mexico as part of the centenary celebrations. FIFA has officially approved plans for 23 stadiums across these countries.
Countries involved in hosting:
Argentina
Morocco
Paraguay
Portugal
Spain
Uruguay