Infantino Supports Expansion of 2030 World Cup to 64 Teams
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed his support for CONMEBOL’s proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, suggesting that “every idea is good” and deserves to be considered.
During his inaugural speech at the 75th FIFA Congress held in Paraguay, CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez urged all member associations to be creative in ensuring that no one is excluded from the tournament that will celebrate the centenary of the first World Cup, organized and won by Uruguay.
“The celebration of the 100 years will be something special. And I want to emphasize Alejandro [Domínguez]’s words in this speech. He told us all to think about how we can really celebrate it in the way it deserves to be celebrated. So every idea is a good idea,” declared Infantino.
Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA
The 2026 World Cup, which will be played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has already expanded to 48 teams. CONMEBOL seeks for the 2030 World Cup, which will be held in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, and will include matches in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, to have 64 national teams.
At the same FIFA Congress, Palestinian officials expressed their frustration at not receiving a clear timeline on the reports of two investigations into Israeli football, initiated last year.
Last October, FIFA asked its disciplinary body to investigate allegations of discrimination by the Israeli football federation and its governance panel to determine whether Israeli settlement teams in the West Bank participating in national competitions violated the statutes of the governing body.
The Palestinian Football Association’s renewed claims to FIFA last year are part of a 15-year campaign seeking action against settlement clubs.
“Let’s not wait another year. We need to act now,” urged Susan Shalabi, a Palestinian football official and member of the Asian Football Confederation’s executive committee, to FIFA leaders.
Susan Shalabi, Palestinian football official
“The only thing we ask for is a clear update on the status of the matter and an exact date on which the investigation will be concluded,” he added.
