The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has officially confirmed the expansion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams, beginning with the 2031 tournament in the United States. The United Kingdom has been selected as the host for the 2035 edition, pending final ratification.
The announcement was made following a virtual meeting of the FIFA Council, where football’s global governing body said the decision to include 16 more teams is aimed at increasing access to elite competition for more nations and accelerating investment in women’s football.
According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the expansion is not just about increasing the number of participating teams but also about promoting global development in the women’s game.
“This is not just about having 16 more teams playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup but taking the next steps in relation to the women’s game in general by ensuring that more FIFA Member Associations have the chance to benefit from the tournament to develop their women’s football structures from a holistic point of view,” Infantino said.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, was a milestone for the tournament, with teams from all FIFA confederations recording at least one win and five reaching the knockout stages. That edition set a new benchmark for global competitiveness in women’s football.
The expanded format will see the number of matches rise from 64 to 104, mirroring the structure of the men’s tournament which will feature 48 teams in 2026, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
While some stakeholders in the women’s game have expressed concerns about potential one-sided matchups—recalling the United States’ 13-0 victory over Thailand in 2019—FIFA pointed out that the 2023 expansion from 24 to 32 teams did not lead to similar results. The most lopsided result was the Netherlands’ 7-0 win over Vietnam, while the U.S. only managed a 3-0 win against debutants.
The 2035 tournament is expected to be staged across all four UK nations—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The UK’s bid was unopposed after Spain, Portugal, and Morocco failed to submit a joint proposal.
England’s recent success in the women’s game—winning the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 at Wembley and finishing runners-up in the 2023 Women’s World Cup—has increased enthusiasm around hosting. Speaking on the bid earlier this year, Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham said:
“Hosting England’s first FIFA World Cup since 1966, along with our home nations partners, will be very special.”
British football star Chloe Kelly also welcomed the prospect, saying:
“The Euros here was amazing and a World Cup would be absolutely incredible… England fans love football and we’re ready to get behind the team.”
FIFA still needs to finalize venue inspections before ratifying the 2031 and 2035 hosts, but with no competing bids, the United States and the United Kingdom are all but confirmed.
For Nigeria and other African nations, this expansion offers increased opportunities to participate on the world stage and develop women’s football infrastructure at home. The Super Falcons—Africa’s most successful women’s national team—will be aiming to build on their strong performances in recent tournaments with this expanded format offering greater global representation.
