Seven Conmebol members do not support expansion
Impact on World Cup qualifying cited as main factor
The proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams is facing opposition from within Conmebol, the South American confederation that would benefit from staging the extra matches.
The Guardian has learned that seven out of the 10 Conmebol members have expressed concerns about the expansion plan, which is being driven by the federations of Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
Those three countries have been given one match each by Fifa at the centenary World Cup, which is now scheduled to feature 48 teams, in recognition of the tournament’s South American roots before the rest of the competition takes place in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The first edition of the World Cup in 1930 was hosted in and won by Uruguay.
