CONCACAF President Criticizes Plans For 48-Team World Cup Expansion

‎CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani has expressed his disagreement with the recent proposal to increase the number of teams in the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64.

‎The upcoming 2026 World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first tournament to feature 48 teams, an increase from the 32 teams that participated in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

‎Montagliani said increasing the size of the field again in 2030 would damage “the broader football ecosystem.”

‎”I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues and players,” Montagliani told ESPN.

‎”We haven’t even kicked off the new 48-team World Cup yet, so personally, I don’t think that expanding to 64 teams should even be on the table.”

‎The 2030 World Cup is being hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with games also being played in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil.

‎Earlier this month, CONMEBOL, the governing body for South American football, garnered attention by advocating for an expansion of the World Cup to 64 teams to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

‎A tournament of this size would feature 128 matches, effectively doubling the 64 matches that were played during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

‎”We are convinced that the centennial celebration will be unique because 100 years only happen once,” CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said earlier this month.

‎”And that’s why we are proposing, for the only time, to hold this anniversary with 64 teams, on three continents simultaneously.

‎”So that all countries have the opportunity to live a global experience, and so that no one on this planet is left out of this celebration which, even though it’s played everywhere, is our party.”