"It's not just about 16 more teams playing the World Championship, but also about taking the next step for women's football in general, by ensuring that more of Fifa's member associations get the chance to benefit from the tournament," says Fifa's president Gianni Infantino.
Fifa has previously announced that the women's World Championship – like the men's – will be expanded to 48 teams, but now Fifa's board has also made the formal decision.
The host of the 2031 World Championship has not yet been appointed, but the USA has submitted a bid to host the championship. The idea is to host the World Championship with other Concacaf members, but which other countries are involved has not been officially announced.
The expansion to 48 teams will also apply to the 2035 World Championship, and the UK (the associations in England, Wales, and Scotland) and Ireland have submitted a joint bid.
The upcoming 2027 World Championship in Brazil will be played with 32 teams.
Just 14 years ago – in 2011 in Germany – only 16 national women's teams participated in the World Championship. In Canada in 2015 and France in 2019, there were 24 teams, before it was expanded to 32 teams in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
The men's World Championship has previously been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, and the premiere edition with so many participating national teams will take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico next year.
