OREANDA-NEWS  The International Football Federation is considering the possibility of increasing the number of participants in the World Cup from 48 to 64 national teams, Ole reports.

The corresponding project was presented by the President of the South American Football Federation (CONMEBOL) Alejandro Dominguez. The probability that FIFA will support the project is highly estimated.

In this case, the number of participants will be increased already at the 2030 World Cup. The teams are expected to be divided into 16 groups of four teams each. The top two of each group advance to the playoffs and continue to win medals according to the Olympic system.

For the first time in history, the 2030 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by six countries, and the games will be held on three continents – Europe, South America and Africa.

From 1998 to 2022, 32 national teams competed in the World Championships. For the first time, 48 national teams will participate in the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.