UEFA Dismisses 2030 World Cup Expansion to 64 Teams: “It’s a Bad Idea”

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin strongly criticized the idea of expanding the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams. Speaking to the press on Thursday, the head of European football called it "a bad idea," both from an organizational and sporting perspective, reports FlashScore.

The proposal was brought forward on March 5 by Uruguayan FA President Ignacio Alonso during the latest FIFA Council meeting. It aims to commemorate the centenary of the tournament, which was first played in Uruguay in 1930. FIFA referred to the idea as “spontaneous” and said it had the “duty to analyze it,” without confirming a position from President Gianni Infantino.

It's worth noting that the men’s World Cup will already expand from 32 to 48 teams starting in 2026, when the tournament will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The 2030 edition is already set to be logistically complex, as it will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with three opening matches held in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

Ceferin argued that increasing the field to 64 teams would not benefit the World Cup and would negatively impact European qualifiers. He also expressed concern that the proposal was never discussed before being introduced at the FIFA Council. This comes amid ongoing friction between UEFA and FIFA, particularly after the launch of the new 32-team Club World Cup scheduled for summer 2025.

The UEFA chief also recalled the previous attempt to hold the World Cup every two years, a Saudi-backed idea in 2021 that FIFA later shelved. According to Ceferin, proposals of such magnitude should be approached through serious, transparent discussion—not introduced as sudden suggestions.