From the moment it was presented, Conmebol’s push for a 64-team World Cup was an unwinnable battle. The South American confederation found itself isolated and outgunned, facing a powerful alliance of stakeholders who were united in their opposition to the plan, dooming it to failure from the outset.
The proposal, pitched to FIFA President Gianni Infantino in New York, was a bold strategic move by Conmebol to increase its influence and guarantee World Cup places for its ten member nations.
However, the political calculus was fatally flawed. The proposal immediately alienated other powerful confederations, most notably UEFA and Concacaf. Their presidents, Aleksander Ceferin and Victor Montagliani, swiftly and publicly condemned the idea, framing it as a self-serving plan that would damage the global game. This created a powerful counter-narrative that Conmebol could not overcome.
Crucially, the proposal had no support where it mattered most: inside the FIFA Council. An internal source confirmed the plan was dead on arrival, with the “overwhelming feeling” being that it was a bad idea. Without any allies on the council, Conmebol’s proposal had no legislative path forward.
Conmebol was fighting on too many fronts with too few allies. It was a battle against the prevailing sporting, commercial, and political interests of the majority of the football world. The swift and decisive rejection of their plan was the inevitable result of a campaign that was, from the very beginning, unwinnable.