The FIFA Women`s World Cup is scheduled for a significant expansion, growing from 32 participating nations to 48 ahead of the 2031 tournament. This strategic move will bring the women`s competition in line with the men`s World Cup, which is also increasing to 48 teams for its 2026 edition, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The upcoming 2031 expansion follows a recent increase for the Women`s World Cup, which jumped from 24 to 32 teams for the 2023 event co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
In a statement, FIFA confirmed the decision, noting: `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.` The council`s decision, made during a virtual meeting, aims to significantly broaden global representation, providing more countries and athletes with access to elite competition and encouraging greater investment in women`s football globally.
The expanded 48-team structure for the FIFA Women`s World Cup will feature a 12-group format. This change will result in a total of 104 matches being played throughout the tournament, a notable increase from the current 64 games. Consequently, the duration of the event will be extended by one week. Hosting requirements for both the 2031 and 2035 editions of the tournament have been adjusted to accommodate this larger scale.
Given the rapid improvements and growing popularity of the women`s game worldwide, expansion was seen as a necessary step, building upon the recent transition from 24 to 32 teams. While expansion is welcomed for the women`s tournament, suggestions for potentially expanding the men`s World Cup beyond 48 teams in the future remain a topic of debate, partly due to increasing demands on players globally.
Before the 48-team format arrives, Spain will seek to defend their Women`s World Cup title at the next tournament in Brazil in 2027. This edition will retain the 32-team format and is scheduled to run from June 24 to July 25. The United States women`s national team, now managed by Emma Hayes, will aim for a stronger performance after their exit in the Round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup, where they lost to Sweden in a penalty shootout (5-4). While the move to 48 teams in 2031 may increase the overall competitive pool, potentially making the path to winning the World Cup more challenging, it could also lead to easier group stage matchups, offering teams like the USWNT a more favorable route into the knockout rounds.
FIFA Updates Disciplinary Code to Combat Racism
In addition to the announcements regarding tournament expansion, the FIFA council also revealed revisions to its disciplinary code aimed at combating racism within the sport. The updated code includes new measures designed to address discriminatory behavior occurring both on and off the pitch. These new protocols introduce stricter sanctions for racist incidents, such as increased fines and the possibility of matches being forfeited. Furthermore, the established three-step procedure for stopping matches due to anti-LGBTQ+ chants has been modified to now encompass instances of racism. Member associations affiliated with FIFA are required to adopt these updated codes, and FIFA has also secured the right to appeal cases involving racist abuse to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino commented on the changes, stating that the revised Disciplinary Code represents a significant advancement in FIFA`s ongoing efforts to strengthen its regulatory framework for prosecuting and sanctioning discrimination and racist abuse in collaboration with its 211 member associations worldwide.
