The women’s World Cup will expand to 48 teams in 2031, FIFA announced on May 9.
FIFA says the expansion of the tournament will “significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women’s football worldwide.”
The 2027 women’s World Cup will be played from June 24-July 25 in Brazil, and has 32 teams.
A host has not yet been announced for the 2031 women’s World Cup, but the United States is the lone bidder for the tournament. The U.S. will co-host the next men’s World Cup in 2026 with Canada and Mexico.
“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,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a press release.
“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. This decision ensures we are maintaining the momentum in terms of growing women’s football globally.”
FIFA says the 48-team women’s World Cup will have a 12-group format, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104. It will also extend the tournament by one week.
The decision was made during a recent FIFA virtual meeting after consultation with soccer confederations and other stakeholders, and given the remarkable recent strides made by women’s football across the world, according to the release.
FIFA and Netflix previously announced the streaming service will broadcast the 2027 and 2031 women’s World Cups in the United States.
Spain won the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, while the United States won the previous two tournaments and four World Cups overall (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019).