AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa opposed South America’s request to expand the 2030 World Cup from 48 to 64 teams, stating that such an increase would create “chaos.” He emphasized that the decision for 48 teams is final for this edition, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with matches also in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. While he remains open to discussions about future tournaments post-2034, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin criticized the proposal, while FIFA’s secretary general indicated that they would analyze it further.
