DJUMPING ON THE WORLD CUP EXPANSION PROPOSAL: DFB SHOOTS DOWN PLANS FOR A 64-TEAM TOURNAMENT
World Cup Plans Firmly Opposed by DFB Labeled as Absurd
Soccer Whispers - DFB: "Hell No!" The FIFA World Cup could potentially welcome twice as many teams in 2030, but don’t count on the German Football Association (DFB) for support on this visionary proposition. "This proposal is laughable, frankly, and we ain't playing it," declared DFB President Bernd Neuendorf ahead of the FIFA Congress, "I can't stand by this idea because it's a colossal waste of time and resources."
The shindig for the 2030 World Cup might see an unprecedented increase in participants, with Uruguayan Football Association President Ignacio Alonso recently floating a proposal to allow 64 teams. The DFB has made it abundantly clear that they will keep their hands off this preposterous idea.
The World Soaked in Footy - Trump's Wacky America, DFB: "Friend or Foe?" The idea of hosting a 64-team tournament due to the World Cup’s milestone 100-year anniversary was first introduced by Uruguayan Football Association President Ignacio Alonso in the FIFA Council in early March. In response, FIFA crackled, "The idea was noted, as we're obligated to examine every proposal from one of its Council members." For now, this controversial topic does not appear on the agenda for the Congress in Asunción. However, the Council, including Neuendorf, will convene before the assembly of FIFA member associations, just waiting to throw a spanner in the works.
"WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF?"
Beforehand, the DFB chief dropped a bombshell about the " Catastrophic consequences for national leagues." An expansion would inevitably stretch the tournament, said the 63-year-old, "And hell yeah, it would put an insane load on the players which I ain't on board for."
The Beautiful Game - 64 Teams, 100 Years? Give Us All a Break! While the South American Football Confederation CONMEBOL approves of the Uruguayan proposition, resistance stews in the Asian Football Confederation AFC and the North and Central American Football Confederation CONCACAF. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has also publicly criticized the plan as a "bad idea" [1]. Rumors swirl that some Council members were shocked by the sudden intrusion under the 'Miscellaneous' point, with Ceferin remarking, "Something smells fishy; we didn't know about this before."
Uruguay holds the distinction of co-hosting the 2030 World Cup alongside Argentina, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. Before the madness of 2030, the field of participants for the 2026 World Cup in USA, Canada, and Mexico has already been boosted from 32 to 48 teams under the reign of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
[1] "UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin weighs in on the 64-team World Cup proposal," Goal.com (2022), https://www.goal.com/news/uefa-president-aleksander-ceferin-weighs-in-on-the-64-team-world-cup-proposal/blt45e88e8cbe0f0ad3
- DFB
- Fifa
- World Championships
- The DFB, in opposition to the FIFA World Cup expansion proposal, has stated that they will not support a 64-team tournament in 2030, calling the idea preposterous and a waste of resources.
- FIFA, while noting the proposal by Uruguayan Football Association President Ignacio Alonso for a 64-team tournament, has not made a public stance on the issue and has not included it on the agenda for the upcoming Congress in Asunción.
- The Commission, including DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, has been consulted on the draft directive for the 2026 World Cup, which will initially have 48 teams instead of the traditional 32, due to the efforts of FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
- In addition to the DFB, the Asian Football Confederation AFC and the North and Central American Football Confederation CONCACAF have also expressed reservations about the Uruguayan proposition for a 64-team World Cup in 2030.
