Geneva, May 10 -- The number of participating teams in the FIFA Women's World Cup will be expanded from 32 to 48 from the 2031 edition.
The FIFA Council has made a unanimous decision on the expansion "given the remarkable recent strides made by women's football across the world," the world's football governing body said in a statement on Friday, adding that the decision will offer more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerate investment in women's football worldwide.
According to FIFA, the 48-team FIFA Women's World Cup will adopt a 12-group format, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104 and extending the tournament by one week.
"This is not just about having 16 more teams playing in the FIFA Women...