CONMEBOL president makes official proposal to FIFA to increase males’s 2030 World Cup on the continent to 64 groups.
Alejandro Dominguez, the president of South American soccer’s ruling physique CONMEBOL, has made an official proposal to increase the boys’s 2030 World Cup to 64 groups.
The proposal was first launched final month by a delegate from Uruguay throughout a web-based assembly of FIFA’s ruling council chaired by its president, Gianni Infantino, that blindsided officers from Europe.
“We’re satisfied that the centennial celebration might be distinctive as a result of 100 years are celebrated solely as soon as,” Dominguez mentioned throughout his opening speech at CONMEBOL’s eightieth Extraordinary Congress.
The 2030 World Cup is already set to be essentially the most sprawling version with six host nations unfold throughout three continents.
Uruguay was the unique World Cup host in 1930 and is scheduled to stage one sport. Paraguay, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and Morocco are additionally co-hosts.
“That’s the reason we’re proposing, for the primary time, to carry this anniversary with 64 groups, on three continents concurrently,” added Dominguez.
There have been 32 groups within the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. That quantity might be expanded to 48 on the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Increasing to 64 groups seemingly would assure all 10 CONMEBOL member international locations a spot in an even bigger event. Venezuela is the one one which has by no means certified for a World Cup.
“This can enable all international locations to have the chance to reside the world expertise and so no person on the planet is overlooked of the occasion,” added Dominguez.
If FIFA approves the transfer, it could create a event of 128 matches, double the variety of the 64-game format performed from 1998 by means of 2022.
Infantino has constantly pushed for greater and new tournaments in his presidency since 2016, in search of extra income to present to FIFA’s 211 member federations and extra possibilities for his or her nationwide groups to qualify.
Nevertheless, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has referred to as a 64-team World Cup “a foul concept”.
Critics of the 64-team proposal have argued it’ll weaken the standard of play and devalue the qualifying program in most continents.
