Alejandro Domínguez calls on FIFA to make the centenary of the World Cup a truly global celebration, with more teams and a presence on several continents

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CONMEBOL is going high: it is calling for a historic 2030 World Cup with 64 teams and global participation

Alejandro Domínguez is no half-hearted when it comes to dreaming big. At the opening of the 75th FIFA Congress in Paraguay, the CONMEBOL president raised his voice to make clear his vision of what the 2030 World Cup should be: a unique, unprecedented event that will go down in football history. And for this, he proposes a powerful idea: to expand the competition to 64 teams for once, on the occasion of its centenary.

The 2030 edition already has a unique scheme. Spain, Morocco and Portugal will be the main hosts of the tournament, but there will also be opening matches in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, in homage to the 1930 World Cup that was played for the first time in Montevideo. It is a shared formula, with a strong symbolic charge and historical nods. But for Domínguez it is not enough. He wants the whole planet to feel part of the party.

‘This can't be just another World Cup,’ the Paraguayan leader told the international football world's top brass. "We have to think of something that lives up to 100 years of history. That the world participates, that no one is left out. Let it be a global event, like we have never seen before. A direct message, which did not ask to change positions, but to open the mind to a different proposal.

Although he did not expressly mention the increase in quotas in his speech on Thursday, Dominguez had already confirmed last April that CONMEBOL would formally request that the 2030 World Cup be played with 64 teams. That is 16 more than the 48 already approved for the 2026 edition in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

‘A World Cup is the biggest popular celebration on the planet,’ he said. "And in a party like this, no one should be left out. The argument is not just romantic, it also seeks to fit in with a trend: football is expanding, new countries are competing at the highest level and there is a growing demand to participate in major tournaments.

Dominguez also called on the members of the FIFA Congress to assume their historic role. "We are privileged to have the opportunity to decide something so important. Football doesn't belong to us, it belongs to the world. And this centennial must reflect that.

The proposal to expand to 64 teams, however, is not without its complications. The schedule, logistics and infrastructure are huge challenges, especially with a World Cup that will be played on different continents. Added to that is the debate over whether the quality of the tournament could be affected by the inclusion of less competitive teams. But from South America, the bet is on.

CONMEBOL's idea is based on the emotional argument of the centenary. It is not a proposal to repeat in future editions, at least for now, but an ‘extraordinary’ edition in every sense. Dominguez made it clear: "We have a unique opportunity to make history. Let's not waste this opportunity.

With the ball now in FIFA's court, it remains to be seen whether this vision will become reality. But what is certain is that the South American campaign has begun, and it has done so with an ambitious message, loaded with symbolism and aimed at all corners of planet football.