FIFA unanimously decided Friday to expand the number of participating teams in the Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48 as of the 2031 tournament.
The 48-team Women’s World Cup will adopt a 12-group format, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104 and extending the tournament by one week, the governing body said.
The FIFA Council made the decision at a meeting held virtually.
Spain players celebrate after defeating England 1-0 in the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Aug. 20, 2023, in Sydney. (FIFA/Getty/Kyodo)
Men’s football has already decided to hold a 48-team World Cup from the 2026 edition in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The decision “will significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women’s football worldwide,” FIFA said in a media release.
According to The Associated Press, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said a month earlier that only one candidate was bidding for each of the 2031 and 2035 women’s tournaments — the United States, followed by the United Kingdom.
FIFA is expected to confirm these two hosts next year, AP said.
Brazil will host the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Japan won the 2011 tournament and lost in the 2015 final to the United States.
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