Conmebol president Alejandro Domínguez called on Thursday at FIFA’s Congress in Paraguay for “no one” to be “left out” of the 2030 World Cup, echoing his controversial proposal to expand the tournament to 64 teams. “A World Cup is the most popular party on planet Earth, and at that party no one should be left outside,” the South American official said at the opening of FIFA’s 75th Congress, without directly mentioning his expansion plan.
Domínguez has repeatedly stated that he wants to increase the number of World Cup participants from 48 to 64 for the 2030 edition, which will be staged mainly in Spain, Morocco and Portugal. However, the tournament’s opening matches will be played in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to mark the centenary of football’s showcase event.
The head of the South American Football Confederation’s proposal has already been rejected by other authorities, including the presidents of the European, Asian and North/Central American & Caribbean confederations. The next World Cup, to be held in 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico, already expanded the field from 32 to 48 teams.
“I invite you not to change your stance but to reflect together on doing something worthy of history,” Domínguez said. FIFA’s 75th Congress is taking place on Thursday at Conmebol’s convention center in the city of Luque, on the outskirts of Asunción.
Delegates from 210 of FIFA’s 211 member associations are attending, along with the organization’s president, Gianni Infantino. The event began two hours later than planned due to Infantino’s delayed arrival. He had been on a trip to Saudi Arabia and Qatar with U.S. President Donald Trump until Wednesday.
