2030 World Cup: FIFA Mulls Expansion To 64 Teams

2030 World Cup: FIFA Mulls Expansion To 64 Teams

Sampson Adedeji

World football governing body, FIFA, is considering expanding the number of participating nations at the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64, reports have emerged, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The tournament, which will mark the centenary of the first-ever World Cup staged in Uruguay in 1930, is scheduled to be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay.

According to sources, FIFA is weighing the possibility of allocating a full group stage to Argentina rather than restricting its role to only the opening matches.

Uruguay and Paraguay are also expected to host one group each in recognition of their symbolic contribution to the competition’s 100th anniversary.

The remaining nine groups would then be contested across the main hosts Spain, Portugal, and Morocco who will stage the bulk of the tournament.

If approved, the expansion to 64 teams would represent another major milestone in the history of the competition, following FIFA’s earlier decision to raise the tournament from 32 to 48 teams beginning with the 2026 edition.

FIFA officials are expected to make a final decision on the format in the coming months, as preparations intensify for what is billed as the most historic World Cup in modern football.