The Audacity of Conmebol: Pitching a 64-Team World Cup in Trump Tower

In an audacious move, leaders from the South American football confederation, Conmebol, pitched a 64-team World Cup to FIFA President Gianni Infantino at his Trump Tower offices in New York. However, the bold proposal for the 2030 centenary tournament has been swiftly dismissed by the wider FIFA organization, which fears it would be a step too far.
The delegation, which included top officials from Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, laid out their vision for a mega-tournament. The central appeal for Conmebol is the potential for all ten of its member nations to qualify, a move that would cement its status as a football superpower. They even claimed they had the capacity to host the entire group stage.
Despite the confidence of the pitch, the idea has been met with a firm “no” from within FIFA’s ranks. Sources close to the FIFA Council have confirmed that there is no appetite for such a radical expansion. The primary concern is that a 64-team format would lead to a dilution of talent and a series of uncompetitive matches, ultimately harming the World Cup brand.
This internal opposition has been echoed publicly by the heads of other powerful confederations. UEFA’s Aleksander Ceferin and Concacaf’s Victor Montagliani have both gone on the record to criticize the plan, signaling that the South American ambition is not shared by its global partners.
While the meeting with Infantino provided a platform for Conmebol’s vision, the outcome is clear: the World Cup will not be expanding to 64 teams. The focus remains on the 48-team format debuting in 2026, which is already seen as a significant and challenging expansion.