Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa has strongly opposed South American football body CONMEBOL’s proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams, warning such a move would lead to “chaos” in the tournament structure.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 35th AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Sheikh Salman rejected the expansion plan put forward by CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez earlier this week.

“Personally, I don’t agree,” the Bahraini leader told AFP, insisting the 2030 edition had already settled on 48 teams “so the matter is settled.”

The AFC president warned that continually increasing the tournament size would create significant problems for the competition’s structure and organization.

“If the issue remains open to change, then the door will not only be open to expanding the tournament to 64 teams, but someone might come along and demand raising the number to 132 teams,” said Sheikh Salman. “Where would we end up then? It would become chaos.”

The 2030 World Cup, set to commemorate the centenary of the tournament, is already planned as an unprecedented multi-continental event.

While Spain, Portugal and Morocco will host the majority of matches, three opening games will be staged in South America – in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay – recognizing Uruguay as the host of the inaugural 1930 World Cup.

The tournament will feature 48 teams, expanding from the 32-team format used in Qatar 2022. This expansion was already approved for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

CONMEBOL’s Dominguez formally proposed the further expansion to 64 teams during the South American body’s 80th Congress on Thursday, suggesting it as a one-time increase to celebrate the centennial.

“We are proposing, for the only time, to hold this centennial with 64 teams on three continents, simultaneously, so that all countries have the opportunity to experience a World Cup and so that no one on this planet is left out of this celebration,” Dominguez said.

The South American proposal would likely guarantee all 10 CONMEBOL member nations a place in the tournament. Venezuela is currently the only South American country that has never qualified for a World Cup.

If approved, the expansion would effectively double the tournament size to 128 matches, compared to the 64-game format used from 1998 through 2022.

While Sheikh Salman rejected changes for 2030, he did not dismiss potential format adjustments for future tournaments beyond the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

“If we want to discuss subsequent tournaments… that’s a different matter,” he said.

The proposal has received a mixed response from football’s governing bodies. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin previously dismissed it as a “bad idea,” while FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said the world governing body would “analyse” the suggestion.

“There are many things that need to be studied, and we will take our time, consult everyone,” Grafstrom said.

Critics argue that expanding to 64 teams would dilute the quality of play and devalue continental qualifying competitions, while supporters suggest it would give more nations the opportunity to participate in football’s premier event.

The idea was initially raised at a FIFA Council meeting in March by Uruguay Football Federation chief Ignacio Alonso, before being formally proposed by CONMEBOL’s Dominguez this week.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who participated in Thursday’s CONMEBOL Congress via videoconference, has previously supported tournament expansions during his presidency, which began in 2016, seeking increased revenue for FIFA’s 211 member federations and more opportunities for national teams to qualify.

The final decision on the tournament structure remains with FIFA, which must balance the celebration of the World Cup’s centenary with maintaining the tournament’s competitive integrity and logistical feasibility.

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South American Football Confederation, CONMEBOL has officially proposed hosting the 2030 World Cup with 64 teams, allowing more countries the opportunity to join in the celebrations for the tournament’s centennial, the South American soccer governing body said on Thursday.

The 2030 World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with its opening matches taking place in Uruguay, where the first World Cup was held in 1930, as well as in Argentina and Paraguay.

“We are convinced that the centennial celebration will be unique because 100 years are only celebrated once. And that’s why we are proposing, for the first time, to hold this anniversary with 64 teams, on three continents simultaneously,” CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez said.

The World Cup has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams for next year’s edition in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Soccer governing body FIFA said earlier it would review a proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 team.

• Reuters

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Summary:

• * The 2026 World Cup could have a fresh twist if a mooted list from the US State Department is passed
• * The list contains 43 countries whose citizens could be banned from travelling to the United States by Donald Trump’s administration
• * The United States of America is one of the host nations for next year’s World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada

A Kenyan publication, TUKO News has enunciated the dangers ahead as the qualifying series for the World Cup 2026 is nearing completion. Already, some countries have secured their qualifications.

The 2026 World Cup is set to be one of the most consequential FIFA events of all time. The tournament will feature 48 teams for the first time ever, which is an increase from the previous 32.

A proposed law could see Donald Trump’s administration restrict the travel of 43 countries ahead of World Cup 2026. Photos by Michael Regan/Chip Somodevilla. Source: Getty Images

It will also be the first time that the World Cup will be hosted by three countries – the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.

The other factor to look at is President Donald Trump, who rode into office defiantly last year, beating former vice-president Kamala Harris, to reclaim the position he lost in 2020. Some of Trump’s polices have been considered far-reaching and could have immense repercussions if followed to the letter.

One of the policies includes a proposed travel ban on the citizens of 43 countries. A three-tier list has been drafted of the nations that could be denied entry into the United States. The proposed law is a follow-up of the executive order Trump signed on January 20, requiring increased vetting of any foreigners seeking entry into the country.

Which countries will be affected?

Among the countries in the proposed list is Iran which has already qualified for the World Cup. Mehdi Taremi scored twice to salvage a point against Uzbekistan. which was enough for them to confirm their place as one of the Asian teams. Team Melli will be at the biggest stage for the fourth consecutive time.

Of the 43 in the mooted list, Africa is the most affected with 22 countries. Five-time AFCON winners Cameroon, who are one of the favourites to qualify, lead.

Countries that have already been banned from World Cup 2026

FIFA has already banned three countries from participating in next year’s showpiece. Russia’s ban from many sporting activities continues after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, while Congo and Pakistan have been banned for failure to adhere to FIFA statutes.

Zambia have also been put on a short leash due to the continued interference by third parties in the management of football in that country. FIFA frowns on such interference from state organs, with Kenya bearing the full brunt way back in 2021.

Full list of countries that Donald Trump could ban

New York Times reports that the list, compiled by the US State Department, is not yet final. The White House is yet to pronounce itself on the memo. However, as things stand, this is the list of countries in the list.

Proposed for full ban: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela,

Proposed for Partial visa bans: Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Turkmenistan,

Countries Recommended for Partial Suspension: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, DR Congo, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Republic of the Congo, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe.

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