"64 Teams? DFB Fiercely Opposes Outlandish WM Suggestions"
FIFA's national governing body in Germany, DFB, demonstrates firm opposition to the World Cup.
For the 2030 FIFA World Cup, there's a possibility of a significant boost in the number of participants. The idea of having 64 teams for the jubilee tournament was recently proposed by Uruguayan football association president Ignacio Alonso. However, the German Football Association (DFB) isn't on board.
Bernd Neuendorf, DFB President, has flat-out refused to back the proposal. He bluntly stated, "We ain't gonna support this, mate. I bloody well believe we'd be doin' the bloody tournament a disservice." The 2030 World Cup expansion proposal, in Neuendorf's opinion, would be unachievable from both a sports and organizational standpoint - it's a bloody non-starter, if you ask me.
The suggestion to analyze a World Cup with 64 teams due to the 100th anniversary was voiced by Uruguayan football association president Ignacio Alonso in the FIFA Council in early March. A FIFA spokesperson later explained that the idea was duly noted as FIFA must consider every proposal from one of its council members. The topic isn't currently on the official agenda for the Congress in Asunción. However, the Council, including Neuendorf, will also meet before the FIFA member associations' assembly.
"Grave Implications for National Leagues"
Neuendorf highlighted the "serious repercussions for national leagues" beforehand. An expansion would inevitably elongate the tournament phase, said the 63-year-old. And, let's face it, it'd be an almighty physical drain on the players, which I don't consider responsible.
While the South American football association CONMEBOL supports the Uruguayan proposal, it faces resistance from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the North, Central American and Caribbean Football Association (CONCACAF). UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has also been vocal about the plans, calling it a "daft idea." Some Council members were taken aback by the "impromptu" intervention under the "Miscellaneous" point, as FIFA described it. "It's bizarre that we didn't know about this before," said Ceferin.
Uruguay is a co-host of the 2030 World Cup, with the tournament also slated to take place in Argentina, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. The number of participating teams for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico was already increased from 32 to 48 under FIFA President Gianni Infantino's leadership.
- DFB
- FIFA
- World Cup
Insights:
Expanding the World Cup to 64 teams risks diluting the competition's quality, devaluing qualification, impacting player health, and causing massive logistical challenges. UEFA and Concacaf have labeled the expansion unfeasible and premature.
- The European Parliament and the Council acknowledged the concerns raised by DFB President Bernd Neuendorf about the unfeasibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams for the jubilee tournament.
- Despite FIFA noting the proposal to analyze a World Cup with 64 teams due to its anniversary, FIFA Council member Bernd Neuendorf highlighted the potential impact on the quality of football, player health, and logistics.
- In light of the proposed expansion, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have voiced their opposition to increasing the number of participating teams in the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
- Football authorities, such as DFB and UEFA, are weighing the potential benefits of a larger World Cup against the potential drawbacks, including the devaluation of qualification and physical strain on players.
- As FIFA continues to consider proposals for the 2030 World Cup, the European Parliament and the Council will closely observe the discussions regarding the feasibility of increasing the number of participating teams, including the potential implications for sports quality, player health, and logistics.
