FIFA is open to exploring expanding the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams — with some member associations lobbying for it to happen.
The competition was most recently increased from 24 teams to 32 in July 2019 following the tournament in France that year, and this came into force at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
FIFA has already confirmed that the 2027 tournament in Brazil will again feature 32 countries, but world football’s governing body is open to the possibility of bringing the number of teams in line with the men’s tournament, which has been increased to 48 for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
However, it is unlikely a vote will be taken on the matter at the Extraordinary FIFA congress on December 11.
Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s president, said at their congress in Bangkok earlier this year that they “will work on that”.
U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Soccer Federation announced in April their intention to lodge a joint bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup. The two federations withdrew their bid for the 2027 tournament to instead focus on 2031.
Speaking in May 2023, English Football Association chairwoman Debbie Hewitt also described the possibility of England hosting the 2031 tournament as a “very attractive proposition“.
The Women’s World Cup was identified this year as a major tournament the UK could aim to host in the next 15 years by UK Sport, the government-funded agency responsible for leading major sporting event hosting.
The United States has twice hosted the Women’s World Cup, most recently in 2003, while neither the UK or Mexico has ever hosted the tournament.
The first official FIFA Women’s World Cup took place in 1991, beginning as a 12-team competition.
Women’s World Cup expansion plans carry opportunities and risk
Analysis from Meg Linehan
Expanding the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams offers potential opportunities for the growth of the women’s game in both the football and the business worlds — but that’s not to say the plan doesn’t carry risks. For all the angst over the previous expansion of the major tournament to 32 teams, the final product on the field in Australia and New Zealand in 2023 did not suffer at all. In fact, it proved to be one of the most exciting versions of the tournament, with plenty of packed stadiums and fan zones across the two countries.
The greater rewards lie on the commercial side, especially with both the United States and the UK eying 2031 (or 2035) bids. More games equals more revenue, more attendance, more inventory to sell against for sponsors, media rights deals, you name it. There will be limitations on the commercial side too, with fewer nations equipped to host a larger tournament. More combined bids will solve this problem, but the Women’s World Cup might lose some of what makes it so special and accessible in its existing format.
An even larger question remains at the youth levels. Currently, the Under-20 Women’s World Cup has 24 teams. If the hope is to match this tournament to the senior tournament, especially in advance of the 2031 edition for the full senior teams, that’s a massive project. That’s where there will be questions about quality on the field, in addition to the same logistical ones at senior level.
While it’s still in the discussion phase, the 48-team expansion feels like a matter of when, not if. The challenge is not just keeping the pressure on FIFA to equalize prize money if the tournament does expand, but for FIFA to actually govern and ensure its member nations are properly investing in women’s football at all levels.
(Top photo: Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)
