At a FIFA Council meeting earlier this week, one of the representatives from Uruguay, the host nation of the 2030 World Cup, proposed increasing the number of participating teams in the finals from 48 to 64. The idea was intended to increase diversity at the 100th anniversary celebration of the World Cup. However, many were taken aback by the proposal, according to AS .
Will the World Cup increase to 64 participating teams?
"The proposal to analyze the organization of a 64-team World Cup to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World Cup in 2030 was spontaneously put forward by a member of the FIFA Council as part of a 'trivial' agenda near the end of a FIFA Council meeting. Surprisingly, this idea was accepted by FIFA, as the organization is tasked with analyzing any proposal from one of its council members," AS reported.
With the 2026 World Cup set to take place in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, FIFA has once again confirmed 48 teams will participate in the finals for the first time, up from 32 teams in the 2022 World Cup. FIFA also announced that it has awarded the hosting rights for the 2030 World Cup to Spain, Morocco, and Portugal, with additional matches to be held in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. In addition, the organization has awarded the hosting rights for the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia.
To date, only the 2026 World Cup has officially announced 48 participating teams. The 2030 and 2034 World Cups have not yet been specifically determined, but the number of 48 teams will almost certainly remain the same as the regulations.
Nevertheless, given the current proposals and FIFA's strong interest in the World Cup's profitability, it cannot be ruled out that the world football governing body will seriously consider and study the possibility of increasing the number of participating teams to 64.
This will open up opportunities for lower-ranked and lower-level teams, such as those in Southeast Asia including Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, to have a chance to participate in the world football tournament in the not-too-distant future.
Furthermore, if FIFA increases the number of teams participating in the World Cup finals to 64, they will also redistribute qualifying spots across many regions. There's even a possibility of not holding qualifying rounds for top teams, leaving them only for lower-ranked teams, according to AS .
"If it happens, this would be one of the most game-changing decisions about the World Cup," AS stated.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/fifa-thay-doi-bat-thuong-ve-world-cup-tang-so-luong-len-64-doi-18525030707575645.htm
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