Ahead of the 2031 Women’s World Cup, the tournament is set to expand from 32 to 48 countries. That shift will bring it in line with the men’s World Cup, which is also expanding to 48 countries ahead of the 2026 edition, which will take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This expansion comes after the Women’s World Cup just went from 24 to 32 teams, a jump which went into effect at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“After consultation with the confederations and other stakeholders, and given the remarkable recent strides made by women’s football across the world, the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to expand the number of participating teams in the FIFA Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48 as of the 2031 edition,” FIFA said in a statement. The decision, taken at a meeting held virtually, will significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women’s football worldwide.”
“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. The hosting requirements for the 2031 and 2035 editions of the FIFA…
