BELGRADE: UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Thursday it would be “a bad idea” for FIFA to expand the World Cup to 64 nations for the 2030 tournament.

The 2026 edition in the United States, Mexico and Canada will already see the format increase from 32 teams to 48.

But the head of the Uruguayan football federation, Ignacio Alonso, suggested further expanding the tournament at the last FIFA Council meeting in March.

Football’s global governing body said it “had a duty to analyse” the proposal, which European chief Ceferin denounced at UEFA’s congress in Belgrade.

“This proposal was maybe even more surprising for me than for you,” Ceferin said. “I think it’s a bad idea. I think it’s not a good idea for the World Cup itself and it’s not a good idea for our qualifiers as well, as you know.

“So, I’m not supporting that idea. I don’t know where it came from. It’s strange that we didn’t know anything before this proposal at the FIFA Council.”

Adding 16 more teams to the 48-team lineup that will debut next year in North America appears to have support from FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who typically backs competition expansion as a way to raise money and drive development of the game globally.

Critics of the 64-team proposal have argued it will weaken the quality of play — in what would likely be a sprawling 128-game format — and devalue the qualifying programme in most continents with extra entries on offer.

The 2030 World Cup will be played in three continents, with Portugal, Spain and Morocco the main hosts.

There will also be three matches in South America — in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay — to celebrate the centenary edition. The inaugural World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay.

That decision paved the way for Saudi Arabia to hold the 2034 event.

Ceferin did not object to this year’s Club World Cup, which has drawn criticism for creating a busy summer for players.

“Now, the Club World Cup is happening, and that’s it,” Ceferin said. “Clubs from Europe wanted it, and I don’t see his kind of competition to our competition. It will be more matches for some of the players.”

The Club World Cup runs from June 14 to July 13 in the US.

Infantino made a keynote speech earlier to UEFA’s 55 member federations though made no reference to a 64-team World Cup.

RUSSIA RETURN

He hoped Russia could rejoin the global football world soon, as it would signify that the war in Ukraine was over.

Russian clubs and the national team have been suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions since the country invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“As talks are going on for peace in Ukraine, I hope that we can soon move to the next page, bring back, as well, Russia in the football landscape because this would mean that everything is solved,” Infantino said.

“That’s what we have to cheer for, that’s what we have to pray for because that is what football is about. It’s not about dividing, it’s about uniting girls, uniting boys, uniting people from wherever they are.”

Ceferin echoed Infantino’s remarks. “When the war stops, [Russia] will be readmitted,” Ceferin told the closing press conference.

SOLE BIDDER

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom appears set to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup after Infantino described its interest as the “one valid bid” for the tournament.

England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales announced last month that they would submit a joint bid to host the finals.

The United States, with the possibility of other countries in the CONCACAF region joining the US, is also poised to be named host of the 2031 Women’s World Cup as the only bid.

Infantino said the tournament will increase from 32 teams to 48 in time for the 2031 World Cup to match the men’s event.

“We received one bid for 2031 and one bid — one valid bid I should add — for 2035,” he added at the UEFA Congress.“The 2035 bid is from Europe, from the home nations.”

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2025