The Women’s World Cup is set to be expanded from 32 to 48 teams, like the men’s competition, commencing with the 2031 edition, FIFA announced.
FIFA Council unanimously agreed to extend the competition “given the remarkable recent strides made by women’s football across the world,” football’s governing body said.
The 48-team tournament will adopt a 12-group format, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104 and extending the tournament by one week, FIFA said.
FIFA President, Gianni Infantino said the expansion followed the success of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, won by Spain.
The 2027 tournament in Brazil, which will be the tenth edition of the women’s event, will remain at 32 teams.
“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,” said Infantino.
“This is not just about having 16 more teams playiny, 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,” he said.