World Cup 64-team push hovers as MLS and USL fill Wednesday slate
CBS Sports reports a possible 64-team World Cup debate is already forming while MLS, USL and Copa Sudamericana games headline Wednesday.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The World Cup party is over for 2026, and the soccer calendar has snapped straight back to club business.
CBS Sports’ Francesco Porzio reported that MLS is back in full flow, Europe’s major leagues are a little more than a month from returning, and the transfer window has reached a key stretch as clubs work to finish their squads before the new season.
The bigger drumbeat, though, is already coming from the next men’s World Cup. CBS Sports reported that talk has surfaced around a possible jump to 64 teams for the 2030 tournament, only one edition after the field grew to 48 teams in 2026.
Another World Cup expansion fight is brewing
According to CBS Sports, the 2026 World Cup was the first men’s edition played with 48 teams after the tournament moved away from its long-running 32-team setup.
The 2030 World Cup will mark 100 years since the first tournament. CBS Sports reported that Morocco, Spain and Portugal will co-host the event, while Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay will stage opening matches as a nod to the competition’s beginnings.
CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez said plans are already in motion for a 64-team expansion, according to CBS Sports, which cited his public comments.
CBS Sports writer Pardeep Cattry assessed the 48-team format after the 2026 tournament and pointed to several problem areas. Cattry wrote that the process for deciding which third-place teams advanced created confusion and left South Korea and Scotland waiting at their base camps for other results before they were eliminated.
Cattry also wrote that some late group games came close to losing competitive bite, citing Australia’s 0-0 draw with Paraguay, and that the round of 32 at times felt more like an extended group stage than the start of the knockout rounds.
According to Cattry’s analysis for CBS Sports, some soccer executives are expected to argue that a 64-team tournament would address those issues, though he also wrote that there is still only a small sample size for judging the 48-team model.
Wednesday’s watch list
Club and continental action takes the spotlight on Wednesday, July 22, with games across South America and the United States listed by CBS Sports.
- Copa Sudamericana: Medellin vs. Vasco da Gama, 6 p.m., beIN Sports.
- USL: Lexington vs. Oakland Roots, 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network.
- MLS: Inter Miami CF vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m., ATV.
- MLS: Columbus Crew vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m., ATV.
- MLS: Philadelphia Union vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., ATV.
- USL: Colorado Springs vs. Miami FC, 9 p.m., Paramount+ and Golazo Network.
- MLS: LA Galaxy vs. St. Louis City SC, 10:30 p.m., ATV.
Golazo Network lineup
CBS Sports also highlighted its Golazo Network programming, including Morning Footy on weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon, the women’s soccer show Attacking Third, the U.S. men’s national team-focused Call It What You Want, and the daily highlights show Scoreline.
According to CBS Sports, Golazo Network is available free through the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.