The FIFA Women`s World Cup is poised for a significant increase in size, expanding from 32 to 48 participating nations for the 2031 tournament. This move brings the women`s flagship event into alignment with the men`s World Cup, which is also growing to 48 teams ahead of its 2026 edition hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Women`s World Cup itself recently underwent an expansion, moving from 24 to 32 teams for the 2023 tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
In an official announcement, FIFA stated that after consultations with confederations and various stakeholders, and recognizing the “remarkable recent strides made by women`s football across the world,” the FIFA Council unanimously agreed to expand the Women`s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, effective from the 2031 tournament. The decision, made during a virtual meeting, is intended to significantly broaden global representation, providing more nations and players with access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women`s football worldwide.
The proposed 48-team format for the FIFA Women`s World Cup will feature 12 groups. This expansion will result in a substantial increase in the total number of matches, rising from the current 64 to 104, and will extend the overall duration of the tournament by one week. FIFA also confirmed that the requirements for hosting both the 2031 and 2035 editions of the tournament have been adjusted accordingly to accommodate the larger scale.
Given the continuous improvements and growing depth in the women`s game globally, this expansion is viewed as a necessary step, building upon the recent increase from 24 teams to 32. While the focus is currently on the expansion of the women`s event, discussions regarding the possibility of expanding the men`s World Cup beyond 48 teams have also been raised, though this remains a more contentious topic due to the increasing physical demands placed on players worldwide.
Looking ahead to the immediate future, Spain will defend their title at the next Women`s World Cup, which will retain the 32-team format. This tournament is scheduled to take place in Brazil from June 24 to July 25, 2027. The United States Women`s National Team (USWNT), now led by coach Emma Hayes, will aim for a stronger performance after their early exit in the Round of 16 at the 2023 tournament, where they were defeated by Sweden in a penalty shootout. While the eventual move to 48 teams in 2031 may make winning the overall title more challenging, it could potentially offer the USWNT an easier route through the group stage, which might lead to a more favorable knockout bracket.
FIFA Updates Disciplinary Code on Racism
In parallel with the announcements regarding tournament expansion, the FIFA Council also revealed revisions to its disciplinary code specifically addressing racism. These updated regulations introduce new measures designed to combat discriminatory behavior both on and off the pitch. Stronger sanctions for racist incidents have been implemented, including increased fines and the potential for matches to be forfeited. Furthermore, FIFA`s established three-step protocol for stopping matches due to discriminatory chants (which previously applied to anti-LGBTQ chants) has now been explicitly updated to include racism. Member associations are required to adopt these revised codes, and FIFA has also reserved the right to appeal cases involving racist abuse to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The revised Disciplinary Code represents a significant step change in FIFA`s objective to enhance its regulatory framework to prosecute and sanction discrimination and racist abuse in cooperation with our 211 FIFA Member Associations.
– FIFA President Gianni Infantino
