Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay will compete in the standard CONMEBOL qualification tournament for the 2030 FIFA World Cup despite already securing automatic entry as tournament co-hosts, TyC Sports reported.

The decision ensures that South America’s preliminary competition will retain its traditional 18-match fixture list rather than shrinking to 14 rounds. FIFA confirmed the arrangement following the ratification of the 2030 tournament’s unique multi-continent structure during an extraordinary congress in December 2024, as reported by Voces Criticas – Salta.

Host Nations May Liberate Qualification Slots

Under the CONMEBOL qualifying format, all ten national teams will face each other in a home-and-away round-robin schedule. Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay will accumulate points normally throughout the campaign, but their positions in the standings will be considered symbolic regarding direct qualification.

According to Radio Mitre, if any of the three host nations finish inside the qualification places, they will “liberate” their slots. For example, if Argentina finishes third in the standings, that direct qualification spot will pass to the fifth-place team in the table, while the sixth-place finisher will advance to the intercontinental playoff.

CONMEBOL received six direct qualification berths and one playoff spot following FIFA’s expansion of the tournament to 48 teams. With three of those direct places absorbed by the 2030 hosts, the remaining seven nations—Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela—will compete for the remaining three direct berths and the intercontinental playoff position, Elonce.com reported.

Centenary Celebrations Feature Opening Matches in South America

The 2030 World Cup marks the centenary of the tournament’s inaugural edition, which was hosted and won by Uruguay in 1930, with Argentina finishing as the runner-up. FIFA designated Spain, Portugal, and Marrocos as the primary co-hosts for 101 matches, while Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay will each host a single opening group-stage match to commemorate the tournament’s history.

Paraguay secured its automatic berth in recognition of housing the headquarters of the South American Football Confederation. Following the opening matches in South America, those three teams will travel to the primary host nations to complete the remainder of the group stage.

C5N reported that the arrangement allows the technical staffs to test players in high-intensity competitive fixtures without qualification pressure.

CONMEBOL Fixtures Might Begin Next Year

The qualification process across FIFA’s six confederations is slated to begin next year, with CONMEBOL fixtures tentatively projected to start in March, according to Elonce.com.

The final fixture list and official match dates remain to be confirmed by CONMEBOL.