The controversial proposal to broaden the 2030 World Cup to 64 groups has been criticised by a number of continental federations, with each the Concacaf and Asian Soccer Confederation presidents opposing the transfer.
South American governing physique Conmebol formally proposed the growth final week, lending momentum to an idea that was initially suggested at a Fifa council assembly final month by Ignacio Alonso, the president of the Uruguayan Soccer Affiliation.
Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez officially backed the idea on the federation’s congress on Thursday, saying the growth would guarantee “no person on the planet is neglected of the celebration.”
However the suggestion has been criticised by a number of different our bodies in world soccer.
ESPN reported that Victor Montagliani, president of Concacaf – which governs soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean – mentioned: “I do not imagine increasing the boys’s World Cup to 64 groups is the correct transfer for the match itself and the broader soccer ecosystem, from nationwide groups to membership competitions, leagues, and gamers.”
“We have not even kicked off the brand new 48-team World Cup but, so personally, I do not suppose that increasing to 64 groups ought to even be on the desk.”
The 2026 World Cup, which might be held throughout the US, Canada and Mexico, would be the first to broaden to 48 groups from the prevailing mannequin of 32. The choice to extend the variety of groups within the match was made following a unanimous vote at a Fifa congress in 2017.
Any additional growth to 64 groups would imply the 2030 version would contain 128 matches, double the quantity contested beneath the format viewers are accustomed to. The 2026 match will function 104 matches performed out throughout 16 host cities.
The 2030 version already faces various logistical challenges as a consequence of its sprawling nature throughout three continents. Spain, Portugal and Morocco are designated hosts however Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina will all host opening matches to mark the centenary of the match, which was first hosted and received by Uruguay.
Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa mentioned the 64-team thought risked the World Cup descending into “chaos”.
“If the problem stays open to vary, then the door is not going to solely be open to increasing the match to 64 groups,” he mentioned on the thirty fifth AFC Congress.
“However somebody may come alongside and demand elevating the quantity to 132 groups. The place would we find yourself then? It might grow to be chaos.”
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin, who can also be a Fifa vice chairman, was one other to criticise the proposal. He mentioned: “It’s not a good suggestion for the World Cup itself and it is not a good suggestion for our qualifiers as properly.”
He additionally queried the sudden nature of the unique suggestion: “I do not know the place it got here from however it’s unusual that we did not know something earlier than this proposal on the FIFA Council.”
Fifa has but to touch upon the benefit of the thought however mentioned following the unique suggestion that it was obliged to contemplate it. The proposal could also be mentioned at Fifa’s upcoming seventy fifth Congress, which might be held in Asuncion, Paraguay on 15 Could.
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