UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says a 64-team World Cup in 2030 would be a “bad idea” for European nations and for the tournament itself.
The concept was raised by a Uruguayan delegate at a FIFA Council meeting last month, and football’s global governing body FIFA has since said it has a duty to give it due consideration.
Uruguay is one of three South American nations, along with Argentina and Paraguay, hosting one match each at the 2030 finals to mark 100 years since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay. The remainder of the competition then switches to Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Ceferin insisted on Thursday he was no fan of the move, which he believes would further devalue the European qualifiers.
“This proposal that was made was even more surprising for me than for you. I think it’s a bad idea,” the Slovenian said at a press conference following the end of the UEFA Congress in Belgrade.
“I think it’s not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it’s not a good idea for our qualifiers as well. So I am not supporting that idea – I don’t know where it came from, but it’s strange that we didn’t know anything before this proposal at the FIFA Council.”
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Ceferin refused to address his own future as UEFA president.
He said at the 2024 Congress in Paris that he would not stand for re-election in 2027, even though a rule change at that meeting created the possibility of him serving a fourth term.
However, speculation persists that he will change his mind and run again.
Asked what he was now thinking about the presidency, Ceferin said: “Let’s speak about today’s Congress now. I’ve heard many things, you’ve heard many things, but it’s not a good time to speak about it.”
