FIFA Confirms 48-Team Format For 2031 Women’s World Cup

‎The Women’s World Cup will expand from 32 to 48 teams starting with the 2031 edition.

‎Following from the FIFA Council during a virtual meeting on Friday, according to a source familiar with the matter.

‎The tournament will feature a 12-group format, resulting in an increase from 64 to 104 matches, matching the expanded men’s World Cup in 2026, and will be extended by one week.

‎The 2027 Women’s 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, up from 24 in the 2019 tournament hosted by France.

‎”This is not just about having 16 more teams playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup but taking the next steps about the women’s game in general,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

‎”…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.”

‎The United States is expected to be named the host for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, as it is the only bid submitted. This would mark the third time the country hosted the tournament, having previously done so in 1999 and 2003.

‎The United Kingdom has submitted the sole bid for the 2035 tournament. The hosts for the 2031 and 2035 editions have not yet been officially approved.

‎Although there are concerns that games could be one-sided with 48 teams, Infantino said the 2023 edition showed sides are closing the gap on the elite.

‎”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,” he added.