Alejandro Dominguez, the president of South American football's ruling body CONMEBOL, has called for the temporary expansion of the 2030 Men's World Cup to include 64 teams. In a press conference on Thursday, he said, «We are convinced that the centennial celebration will be unique because 100 years are celebrated only once». He added, as reported by the New York Times, «That is why we are proposing, for the first time, to hold this anniversary with 64 teams, on three continents simultaneously. This will allow all countries to have the opportunity to live the world experience and so nobody on the planet is left out of the party», he said. This idea was first proposed by Uruguayan football official Ignacio Alonso during a FIFA Council meeting last month, but it was rejected by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, who called it a «bad idea». The 2030 edition will mark the centennial of the tournament, as the first edition was held in Uruguay in 1930. At present, Uruguay (host of the inaugural 1930 edition), Argentina (2022 champions), and Paraguay (home of CONMEBOL) are set to host one match each at the beginning of the tournament. The remaining 101 matches of the 48-team tournament will be played in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. The 2026 World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will be the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams, expanding from the previous 32-team format used from 1998 to 2022.
