Overview

• At a New York summit, CONMEBOL chief Alejandro Domínguez reiterated a formal bid to expand 2030 to 64 teams and assign a complete group-stage block to each of Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
• FIFA has not approved the plan, and governance bodies are set to review it in upcoming sessions, including a council meeting slated for October 2 in Zurich and the April 2026 Congress.
• The proposed format envisions 16 groups of four, significantly increasing the number of matches and opening the door to more venues across South America.
• Argentina’s government skipped the summit despite an invitation, with President Javier Milei and Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein absent, while AFA president Claudio Tapia attended and said he represented the country.
• AFA treasurer Pablo Toviggino publicly rebuked Milei over the no-show, as reporting also noted European resistance led by UEFA’s Aleksandar Čeferin to further World Cup expansion.