At the beginning of February, FIFA made a surprise announcement that sent women’s soccer fans into a frenzy. The tournament is growing from 32 teams to 48. This decision marks a significant milestone in the tournament’s history and aligns with the trend of growth seen in women’s soccer over the past decades. This tournament will be in a 12-group format, leading to 104 total matches played.
The growth of the Women’s World Cup is a direct result of the success witnessed during the 2023 edition. Moreover, every confederation had at least one winning team and five confederations were represented in the knockout stage. The first Women’s World Cup was held in 1991 and included just 12 nations. It slowly grew to 16 teams in 1999, 24 teams in 2015, and 32 teams in 2023.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized the importance of this expansion, stating, “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.”
The 2031 tournament will be hosted exclusively by the United States. FIFA is relaxing the hosting criteria for the Women’s World Cup for both 2031 and 2035. It also means the tournament has an additional week’s time! With this important change comes even greater access for players and fans enhancing the overall experience.
JT Batson, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Soccer Federation, said in a statement that they were excited about the expansion. Forty-eight teams is something that we’ve been passionate supporters for. We believe that it would be amazing for developing the women’s game. He highlighted that federations worldwide perceive the Women’s World Cup as a unique opportunity for competition, especially for nations that may not have the same chances on the men’s side.
The possible effects of this expansion go well beyond increases in participation. Batson noted that it could spur investment across various nations in women’s soccer, saying, “So, what this would lead to in terms of spurring investment all around the world in women’s and girls’ soccer, we think would be incredible.”
Jessica Berman, Commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), echoed these sentiments, asserting that hosting the Women’s World Cup could act as a catalyst for growth in women’s soccer in the United States. She stated, “I think to the extent people see the men’s World Cup as a catalyst for the growth of men’s soccer here, the Women’s World Cup being here in 2031 is directly a catalyst for growth.”
Challenges remain. Afghanistan has not fielded a women’s national team in an official match since 2018, highlighting ongoing issues surrounding women’s participation in sports.
Infantino’s vision for the future is ambitious. He thinks this expansion will enhance competition. Most importantly, it’ll afford countries the chance to properly establish their women’s football programmes.
FIFPRO, the international federation for professional football players, has embraced this expansion as a sign of women’s soccer’s rapid development. They stated, “In principle, FIFPRO welcomes the expansion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, as it reflects the global growth of the women’s game.”
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