FIFA will celebrate the biggest World Cup ever next year, with 48 teams, World Cup 2026 in the US, Mexico, and Canada. However, the following World Cup, in 2030, could be even bigger. A proposal was made by CONMEBOL president earlier this year about having 64 teams, twice the usual, for World Cup 2030. It will already be the first one in three continents (Spain and Portugal in Europe, Morocco in Africa, as well as inaugural group matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup held in Uruguay).
On Wednesday, the plan was discussed at length at the FIFA headquarters at the Trump Tower in New York, between FIFA president Gianni Infantino, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez, and the Uruguayan and Paraguayan presidents, Santiago Peña and Yamandú Orsi.
A 64-team World Cup could be approved or rejected next week, October 3, in a meeting of the FIFA Council in Zurich. However, there are scepticism about these plans, with several figures like CONCACAF and AFC (Asian confederation) publicly talking about it.
And according to The Guardian, the plan is unlikely to go through, as it would not get enough votes. A 64-Team World Cup (which would allow for more than 30% of FIFA's 211 nations to participate) would have too many uncompetitive matches that would undermine the business model, some sources said.