FIFA officially expands Women's World Cup to 48 teams

FIFA continues to revamp its traditional tournaments, and now it's the Women's World Cup's turn for a major transformation.

Details: Today, FIFA officially announced its decision to expand the Women's World Cup from 32 to 48 national teams.

This change will take effect starting with the 2031 World Cup. Just like the men's tournament in 2026, the 48 sides will be split into 12 groups of four teams each. The total number of matches will rise from 64 to 102.

FIFA says the move is driven by the soaring popularity of women's football around the globe.

However, it's still unknown which country will host the 2031 World Cup. In 2027, the tournament will be held in Brazil under the current 32-team format.

For the record: Recently, the world's most glamorous footballer Alisha Lehmann split with Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz