FIFA's ruling body, DFB, strongly opposes the ridiculous World Cup proposals
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The World Cup spectacle in 2030 might witness a grand leap with 64 teams. The suggestion was pitched by Ignacio Alonso, Uruguayan Football Association president, recently. However, the German Football Association (DFB) vehemently refuses to back this idea.
DFB's resilient stand against expanding the 2030 World Cup to a mammoth 64 teams was evident when the DFB chief, Bernd Neuendorf, declared, "I won't back this proposition as I firmly believe it would be detrimental to the tournament."
The idea of a World Cup with 64 teams to celebrate the centennial anniversary was initially floated by Ignacio Alonso in the FIFA Council in early March. A FIFA representative later stated, "The idea was acknowledged since FIFA must investigate any proposal from one of its members." Nevertheless, the topic is yet to appear on the Congress's upcoming agenda in Asunción. Prior to the FIFA member associations' assembly, the Council will reunite.
National Leagues at Stake
Neuendorf shed light on the "potential repercussions for national leagues" in advance. He emphasized that an expansion would undeniably prolong the tournament, implying hefty physical strain on the players, which he deems irresponsible.
While the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) supports the Uruguayan proposition, the plan faces resistance from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the North, Central American, and Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF). UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also recently belittled the plans as a "wrong move." Nevertheless, the council members were taken aback by Ceferin's "impromptu" intervention under the "Miscellaneous" point, with Ceferin stating, "It's peculiar that we weren't informed earlier about this."
Uruguay will concurrently host the 2030 World Cup alongside Argentina, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. The team lineup for the 2026 World Cup was already boosted from 32 to 48 teams during FIFA president Gianni Infantino's tenure.
Based on the current information, it can be inferred that the German Football Association (DFB) likely shares the concerns about the practicality and broader football ecosystem impact, similar to other confederations, assuming they would oppose the proposition. However, this is speculative without direct confirmation from the DFB.
- Football
- 64 Teams Proposal
- DFB's Stand
- The Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive regarding the impractical proposal of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, as noted by DFB's resilient stand against theproposal.
- During the recent meeting of the FIFA Council, Ignacio Alonso, the Uruguayan Football Association president, proposed increasing the number of teams in the 2030 World Cup to 64, a move that is backed by FIFA but faced criticism from various football associations, including DFB.
- Researching the feasibility of the 64 teams proposal for the 2030 World Cup involves analyzing not only the potential benefits but also the impact on football sports, football leagues, and player health, as highlighted by DFB while discussing the unfeasible nature of the proposal.
- On the occasion of football's centennial anniversary, the 64 teams proposal for the World Cup was suggested by Ignacio Alonso, a move that has been acknowledged by FIFA, but some associations, like the German Football Association (DFB), have raised concerns about its practicality and impact on football leagues and player health.
