KUALA LUMPUR: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, on Saturday opposed a South American request to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams, saying such increases in numbers would lead to “chaos”.

The centenary edition, hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco with three matches also being staged in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, is already set to welcome 48 teams — a far cry from the 13 in the inaugural event in Uruguay in 1930.

“Personally, I don’t agree,” the Bahraini leader told AFP on the sidelines of the 35th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur, adding the 2030 edition had settled on 48 teams “so the matter is settled”.

His counterpart from South

American football’s governing body CONMEBOL, Alejandro Dominguez, on Thursday called on FIFA to expand the event in a one-off gesture.

“We are convinced that the centennial celebration will be unique, because 100 years are only celebrated once,” Dominguez said during his opening speech at CONMEBOL’s Congress.

“And that’s why we are proposing, for the first 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.”

He also asked for South America to host the first round of one of the groups, instead of just three matches.

The global event is due to expand from 32 to 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“Some teams will break new ground in reaching that competition as a result, not only of the move to 48 teams with eight or even nine Asian teams now being able to qualify, but also a product of the tireless work being done by you all,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a video message to the AFC Congress.

A 64-team tournament would mean 128 matches, doubling the 64 played in Qatar in 2022.

“If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams, but someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams,” said Salman. “Where would we end up then? It would become chaos.”

However, the Asian leader refused to close the door on a change after the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia, which will host 48 teams. “If we want to discuss subsequent tournaments... that’s a different matter,” he said.

UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin, dismissed it as a “bad idea” but FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said the world body would “analyse” the South American proposal.

“There are many things that need to be studied, and we will take our time, consult everyone,” he said.

Addressing the 46 member associations gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Infantino — speaking from the United States, host of this year’s Club World Cup which will feature 32 teams in June and July instead of the previous seven — praised the impact of expanded tournaments in the development of football around the world although he did not mention Thursday’s proposal by Dominguez.

“Opportunities to face opponents from different continents don’t come along too often and that is something that we have been trying to change at FIFA,” said Infantino, who has pushed for bigger and new tournaments since taking his position in 2016 in a bid to generate more revenue for the organisation’s 211 member associations.

Asia will have four representatives at the Club World Cup: Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal, Ulsan HD of South Korea and Japan’s Urawa Reds.

“In total, players from more nations will represent their respective countries at this tournament than at all of the FIFA World Cups combined since 1930,” added Infantino. “It is further proof in our desire to make football truly global.”

While there has been some criticism of expanded tournaments in Europe because of the increased demands placed on players, Salman said Infantino had Asia’s support.

“This is a competition that we have supported as a confederation and a competitive opportunity which our members, and their clubs, have wanted,” the AFC president said.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2025