FIFA Women's World Cup to increase to 48 teams from 2031

GENEVA, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The number of participating teams in the FIFA Women's World Cup will be expanded from 32 to 48 from the 2031 edition.

The FIFA Council has made a unanimous decision on the expansion "given the remarkable recent strides made by women's football across the world," the world's football governing body said in a statement on Friday, adding that the decision will offer more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerate investment in women's football worldwide.

According to FIFA, the 48-team FIFA 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.

"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," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Inaugurated in 1991, the Women's World Cup featured 12 teams for the first two editions, and then had 16 teams until 2011, before expanding to 24 teams for the next two editions held in Canada and France respectively. The 2023 Women's World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand featured 32 teams for the first time. The quadrennial event will be held in Brazil in 2027.

The men's World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams in the 2026 edition to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. ■