UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has spoken out firmly against the idea of expanding the FIFA World Cup to 64 teams, calling it a “bad idea” during the UEFA Congress held this Thursday in Belgrade.

The proposal, reportedly made by the Uruguayan Football Association, suggests increasing the number of national teams for the 2030 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with commemorative matches played in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay.

“For me, that proposal was surprising. And I think it’s a bad idea. It’s not good for the World Cup or for our qualification process. I do not support it,” Ceferin told Serbian outlet Mozzart Sport.

The remarks highlight the growing tension around the continued expansion of international tournaments, especially within European football leadership.

2026 World Cup already brings major changes

The upcoming 2026 World Cup, hosted across Mexico, the United States, and Canada, will already feature an expanded format of 48 teams, up from the traditional 32. Europe will send 16 teams, marking a significant shift in the tournament structure following Qatar 2022.

The idea of pushing the number up to 64 teams has been met with skepticism—particularly from European football authorities—who are concerned about logistics, competitiveness, and qualification fairness.

Club World Cup expansion also under the spotlight

Ceferin also addressed the revamped FIFA Club World Cup, which will debut this summer with 32 teams. Despite UEFA's initial resistance to the project, the UEFA president now acknowledges it as an inevitable evolution driven by clubs themselves.

“It’s going to happen. The European clubs wanted it. I don’t see it as competition with our own competitions. It just means more matches for some players,” Ceferin stated.