(Reuters) -CONMEBOL officially proposed hosting the 2030 World Cup with 64 teams, allowing more countries the opportunity to join in the celebrations for the tournament's centennial, the South American soccer governing body said on Thursday.
The 2030 World Cup will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with its opening matches taking place in Uruguay, where the first World Cup was held in 1930, as well as in Argentina and Paraguay.
"We are convinced that the centennial celebration will be unique, because 100 years are only celebrated once. And that's why we are proposing, for the first time, to hold this anniversary with 64 teams, on three continents simultaneously," CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez said.
The World Cup has already been expanded from 32 to 48 teams for next year's edition in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
Soccer governing body FIFA said earlier it would review a proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 team.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk)
