FIFA World Cup Announces Expansion Decision

The 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup is slated to be held in Brazil. But while the 2031 World Cup hasn't finalized its host countries yet, we now know how many teams will be playing.

On Friday, FIFA announced that the field of teams in the Women's World Cup is being increased from 32 to 48. The change will result in the number of matches rising from 64 to 104. There will also be an extra week added to the length of the tournament.

In a statement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that the addition of 16 more teams will help to grow the game on a global level.

“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 FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the first in which teams from all confederations won at least one game and teams from five confederations reached the knockout stage, among many other records, set a new standard for global competitiveness. This decision ensures we are maintaining the momentum in terms of growing women’s football globally.”