The Women’s World Cup will expand from 32 to 48 teams, starting in 2031, world governing body of football, FIFA has announced.
This new format will begin with the 2031 tournament, FIFA announced on Friday.
The FIFA Council unanimously agreed to expand the competition “given the remarkable recent strides made by women’s football across the world,” FIFA said in a statement.
The 48-team tournament will adopt a 12-group format, increasing the number of matches from 64 to 104, and extending the tournament by one week.
Hosts for the 2031 and 2035 tournaments, have still to be ratified by FIFA.
Brazil will host the 2027 event with 32 teams set to participate.