FIFA approves 48 team Women’s World Cup starting 2031
The change has been officially confirmed. FIFA, the governing body of world football, finalized the decision in a virtual meeting. The number of teams in the Women’s World Cup will also increase.
FIFA announced on Friday that starting from the 2031 tournament, the Women’s World Cup will feature 48 teams, replacing the previous 32-team format. However, the 2027 World Cup in Brazil will remain unchanged, with 32 teams competing.
The expanded World Cup will also see its duration extended by one week. The tournament will have 12 groups, and the number of matches will increase from 64 to 104. These changes, which will first be seen in the men’s 2026 World Cup, will also apply to the women’s event.
The Women’s World Cup began with 24 teams in France in 2019. Four years later, the tournament expanded to 32 teams for the first time, held in Australia and New Zealand. That year, Spain defeated England in front of nearly 76,000 spectators in the Sydney final to win their first-ever title.
