Plans are underway to host a 64-team men’s World Cup. At the same time, women’s football is also set to expand. FIFA, the governing body, has announced that the Women’s World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams from the 2031 edition. That is, a jump of 16 teams from 32. However, before that, the 2027 Women’s World Cup will be held in Brazil, where 32 teams will play.
The world’s top football governing body announced this in a statement. The 48-team Women’s World Cup will be held in 12 groups. The number of matches will increase from 64 to 104. The tournament will also be extended by one week. The United States will follow this new rule in 2031 and the United Kingdom in 2035, FIFA said.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement, “This is not just about adding 16 more teams to the FIFA Women’s World Cup, but also about taking the next step in the women’s game as a whole. This will allow more FIFA member countries to benefit from the tournament. At the same time, their football structures will improve. This decision will create momentum to further advance women’s football around the world.”
The first Women’s World Cup was held in 1991. Twelve countries participated in that tournament. Then in 1999, it was increased to 16 teams. Then in 2015 and 2019, there were 24 teams, and the most recent World Cup in 2023 was held with 32 teams.
