UEFA opposes FIFA's proposal to expand 2030 World Cup to 64 teams
Football’s global governing body stated that it had "a duty to analyse" the proposal, but Čeferin denounced the idea at UEFA’s congress in Belgrade.
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin has criticised FIFA's proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, calling it "a bad idea."
The 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada will already see an increase from 32 to 48 teams. However, Ignacio Alonso, president of the Uruguayan football federation, suggested a further expansion at the FIFA Council meeting in March.
Football's global governing body stated that it had "a duty to analyse" the proposal, but Čeferin denounced the idea at UEFA's congress in Belgrade.
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"It's maybe even more surprising for me than for you. I think it's a bad idea," he said.
"I don't think it's good for the World Cup itself, nor for our qualifiers. So, I'm not supporting it. I don't know where it came from. It's strange that we weren't informed before it was brought up at the FIFA Council."
The 2030 World Cup will take place across three continents, with Portugal, Spain, and Morocco serving as the main hosts. Additionally, three matches will be played in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay to commemorate the centenary of the first World Cup, which was held in Uruguay in 1930.
The decision also paved the way for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 tournament.
