ZURICH — FIFA announced Friday that the Women’s World Cup will expand from 32 to 48 teams beginning in 2031, with the United States expected to host the historic tournament. The move will bring the women’s competition in line with the men’s World Cup, which will feature 48 nations for the first time in 2026.
The expansion is poised to reshape the format and scale of the tournament, adding approximately four more cities and stadiums to the 2031 hosting plan. FIFA officials also hinted that the event could stretch beyond the United States to include venues in Mexico or other parts of the CONCACAF region.
The announcement follows FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s recent remarks that only one candidate had submitted bids for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups — the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively. FIFA is expected to formally confirm both host nations next year.
Brazil is set to host the final 32-team edition of the Women’s World Cup in 2027, using eight stadiums in eight cities. By contrast, Brazil used 12 cities when it hosted the 2014 Men’s World Cup, and the upcoming men’s tournament in 2026 will utilize 16 stadiums across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
FIFA said the expansion to a 48-team, 104-game tournament will “significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women’s football worldwide.”
The Women’s World Cup has steadily grown in scope over the last decade. The 2011 edition in Germany featured 16 teams, followed by 24-team formats in Canada (2015) and France (2019). In 2023, Australia and New Zealand co-hosted the first 32-team women’s tournament, which drew global acclaim and record attendance.
Despite early concerns that expanding too quickly would lead to lopsided matches, the 2023 edition was widely viewed as a competitive success. FIFA cited that all confederations recorded at least one win and five different confederations sent teams to the knockout stage — a sign of the tournament’s growing parity.
The largest margin of victory in 2023 was a 7-0 win by the Netherlands over Thailand, a marked improvement from the U.S.’s 13-0 rout of Thailand in 2019.
Infantino called the 2023 tournament a “new standard for global competitiveness” and said the expanded format in 2031 will continue that momentum.
The global players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the expansion plan but urged FIFA to prioritize “inclusive decision-making and cooperative planning” in the rollout. The Netherlands-based union emphasized the need for improvements in labor conditions and long-term development at all levels of the women’s game.
“It is critical that the global development of women’s competitions goes hand in hand with improved labor conditions and the advancement of players,” FIFPRO said. “This is the only path to true sustainability, expansion, and progress.”
In recent years, FIFA has introduced stronger contractual protections for players and coaches related to pregnancy and parental leave, signaling a growing commitment to athlete welfare in the women’s game.
