World football governing body, FIFA, has announced the expansion of the Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams starting from the 2031 edition of the tournament.
According to FIFA, the decision was unanimously approved by the FIFA Council on Friday following consultations with confederations and shareholders in the sport to capitalise on the recent growth of women’s football around the world.
“After consultation with the confederations and other stakeholders, and given the remarkable recent strides made by women’s football across the world, the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to expand the number of participating teams in the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ from 32 to 48 as of the 2031 edition,” FIFA said in a statement.
It added, “The decision, taken at a meeting held virtually, will significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women’s football worldwide.”
The 48-team FIFA Women’s World Cup will increase the number of matches from 64 to 104, adopting a 12-group format and extending the duration of the tournament by one week.
Speaking on the development, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said, “This is not just about having 16 more teams playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup but taking the next steps in relation to the women’s game in general by ensuring that more FIFA Member Associations have the chance to benefit from the tournament to develop their women’s football structures from a holistic point of view.”
Mr Infantino added, “The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the first in which teams from all confederations won at least one game and teams from five confederations reached the knockout stage, among many other records, set a new standard for global competitiveness. This decision ensures we are maintaining the momentum in terms of growing women’s football globally.”
