UEFA Chief Ceferin Criticizes Proposal for 64-Team World Cup

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has denounced the proposal to expand the World Cup to 64 teams, stating that it's 'not a good idea' for the tournament or qualifiers.

Aleksander Ceferin, the president of UEFA, expressed strong opposition to FIFA's potential plan to expand the World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 edition. Ceferin deemed the idea “a bad idea” during UEFA's congress in Belgrade on Thursday.

The 2026 World Cup, set to take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will already feature an expanded format, increasing from 32 teams to 48. However, Ignacio Alonso, the head of the Uruguayan football federation, proposed further expansion to 64 teams during the last FIFA Council meeting in March. FIFA responded by stating that it “had a duty to analyse” the proposal.

Ceferin vehemently criticized the idea of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, emphasizing that it would not be beneficial for anyone involved. His stance reflects UEFA's concerns about the potential consequences of such a significant expansion on the tournament's quality and overall football landscape.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin expressed surprise and strong opposition to the proposal of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 edition. Ceferin stated, “It's maybe even more surprising for me than for you. I think it's a bad idea.” He further emphasized, “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.”

President Čeferin: “I often hear UEFA is too focused on making money … But we are not a cold and unfeeling profit machine; we're a fundraising and distribution marvel – with a conscience. Because we give back. Because we distribute these funds – a whole 97% in fact – fairly, in… pic.twitter.com/XEmPGh7Rlz

— UEFA (@UEFA) April 3, 2025

Ceferin made it clear that he does not support the idea of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, saying, “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.” The proposal was put forward by the head of the Uruguayan football federation, Ignacio Alonso, during the last FIFA Council meeting in March.

UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said a push to expand the men's 2030 FIFA World Cup is "a bad idea."

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… pic.twitter.com/fjHmRCC1lJ

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) April 3, 2025

The 2030 World Cup will be a unique event, with matches played across three continents. Portugal, Spain, and Morocco will serve as the main hosts, while three matches will also be held in South America - in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay - to commemorate the centenary edition of the World Cup. The inaugural World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay.

The decision to hold the 2030 World Cup across multiple continents has paved the way for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 event. This development highlights the growing trend of hosting major international football tournaments in new and diverse locations.