ZURICH (AP) 鈥 The Women鈥檚 World Cup will increase to 48 teams in 2031 when the United States is expected to host the tournament, FIFA confirmed Friday.
FIFA has wanted to expand the women鈥檚 tournament from 32 teams to match the men鈥檚 World Cup which has 48 teams for the first time next year, when the U.S. will co-host with Canada and Mexico.
The decision follows one month after aid it had just one candidate bidding for each of the 2031 and 2035 women鈥檚 tournaments 鈥 the U.S. followed by the United Kingdom. FIFA is expected to confirm these two hosts next year.
Brazil will host a 32-team Women鈥檚 World Cup in 2027.
FIFA said the bigger, 104-game tournament with 48 teams 鈥渨ill significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women鈥檚 football worldwide.鈥
The Women鈥檚 World Cup had just 16 teams as recently as the 2011 edition in Germany, 24 teams at each of the next two tournaments in Canada and France, then 32 teams for the first time in 2023 co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The 2023 edition defied concerns the tournament had grown too fast, would have too many overmatched teams and too many lop-sided results.
In 2019, the defending champion U.S. team beat Thailand 13-0 in their opening group-stage game.
In 2023, the biggest win was the Netherlands beating Thailand 7-0, and the tournament 鈥渟et a new standard for global competitiveness,鈥 Infantino said Friday in a statement, because 鈥渢eams from all confederations won at least one game and teams from five confederations reached the knockout stage.鈥
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