FIFA Women’s World Cup to Expand to 48 Teams in 2031

Big news for women’s football: FIFA has confirmed that the Women’s World Cup will expand to 48 teams starting in 2031. This expansion will bring the women’s tournament in line with the men’s World Cup, which is also set to grow to 48 teams in 2026.

The decision to increase the tournament size was unanimously agreed upon by the FIFA Council. As a result, the Women’s World Cup will feature 12 groups and 104 matches, up from the current 64. To accommodate the expanded schedule and the growing number of teams, the tournament will also be extended by a week.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized that this change isn’t just about adding more teams to the competition. It’s also a strategic move to help develop women’s football on a global scale. By increasing the number of teams, more nations will have the opportunity to grow and improve their women’s football programs.

“This decision ensures we are maintaining the momentum in terms of growing women’s football globally,” Infantino said, referring to the groundbreaking 2023 Women’s World Cup, where teams from all six FIFA confederations won at least one match, and teams from five confederations reached the knockout stages.

Potential Host for 2031: United States

The United States is poised to host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with Infantino confirming that both the US and the UK are favorites to host the 2031 and 2035 editions, respectively. This follows a successful bid process, with both countries meeting the first deadline in the race to host.

The next Women’s World Cup in 2027, the final tournament with the current 32-team format, will be held in Brazil.

FIFA’s New Initiative for Afghan Women’s Football

In another historic move, FIFA has announced plans to create an Afghan women’s refugee team. This initiative aims to give Afghan women the opportunity to play football despite the challenges they face under the Taliban regime, which has banned female participation in sports.

FIFA’s commitment to helping Afghan women enter the football world represents a strong stand for gender equality in sports. Infantino called the creation of a refugee team a “landmark initiative” and reaffirmed FIFA’s dedication to providing every girl with the chance to play football.

Khalida Popal, a founding member of Afghanistan’s women’s national team, shared her pride in being part of FIFA’s first refugee soccer team. “We are happy that FIFA has created a pathway for Afghan players to finally return to the field,” she told CNN, adding that she hopes FIFA will one day officially recognize the Afghan Women’s National Team.

These groundbreaking decisions from FIFA reflect the ongoing global growth of women’s football and highlight the organization’s commitment to providing opportunities for women to compete on the world stage. The future of women’s football is certainly looking brighter with these important steps forward.