The Female World Cup will be expanded from 32 to 48 teams from the 2031 edition. The proposal was approved by the FIFA (International Football Federation) Council at a virtual meeting on Friday (9).
The tournament will have a format of 12 groups, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104 – even the men’s World Cup, expanded from 2026 – and extending the tournament for a week.
The 2027 Female World Cup, which will be held in Brazil, will have 32 teams. The 2023 edition in Australia and New Zealand was the first to have 32 teams, an increase over the 24 of the 2019 tournament, based by France.
“It’s not just about 16 more teams playing at the women’s World Cup, but of taking the next steps towards women’s football in general,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“More associations that are members of FIFA have a chance to benefit from the tournament to develop their women’s soccer structures from a holistic point of view,” he added.
The 2026 Men’s World Cup, which will be headquartered by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the first to have 48 teams. The men’s World Cup had 32 teams from the 1998 edition to the latest tournament at Qatar in 2022.
The United States are about to be appointed hosts of the 2031 women’s World Cup as the only candidacy, marking the third time the country will host the tournament after previously hosted in 1999 and 2003.
The UK is the only candidate for the 2035 tournament. The hosts of the 2031 and 2035 editions have not yet been ratified.
Although there are concerns that games can be unbalanced with 48 teams, Infantino said the 2023 edition showed that the lower traditions are diminishing the difference to the elite.
“The 2023 World Cup, the first in which teams from all confederations won at least one game and teams from five confederations have reached the knockout phase, among many other records, has established a new standard of global competitiveness,” said the leader.
“This decision ensures that we are keeping the boost in terms of the growth of women’s football globally.”
