Fifa holds talks over expanding Women’s World Cup to 48 teams in boost to UK’s planned hosting bid (original) (raw)

Talks have begun about expanding the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams in what could be a major boost to a planned UK bid for the tournament.

Telegraph Sport has been told that senior figures in the global game have been discussing matching the size of football’s flagship men’s event as early as the 2031 edition.

It comes a little more than four months after the United States and Mexico announced a joint bid for that World Cup at the same time as withdrawing from the race to host the 2027 tournament, which was awarded to Brazil in May.

The US and Mexican football associations revealed their bid would call for “equal investment” to that for the men’s event, something that would appear to necessitate expansion from 32 to 48 teams.

Rival bids, which could include one from the UK, may need to match that commitment if Fifa agrees to entertain such a change.

Like the US – which is co-hosting the first 48-team men’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico in 2026 – the UK is one of few countries currently boasting the infrastructure capable of staging an expanded tournament.

Additional countries need to be competitive

UK Sport confirmed in March that bringing football home in 2031, 2035 or 2039 was one of its – and thereby the then-government’s – aims in the next 15 years.

If the Women’s World Cup does expand to 48 teams then future editions are all but certain to remain that size, wherever they are staged.

Those pushing for such an increase in 2031 are said to want Fifa to begin planning now for it to ensure the additional countries are competitive in time.

It is barely a year since football witnessed its first 32-team Women’s World Cup after the tournament was expanded from 24 entrants.

In Australia and New Zealand, eight countries were added to the group stages and absorbing another 16 only two editions later could prove a major undertaking.

Fifa declined to comment but its president, Gianni Infantino, said after the 2027 tournament was awarded: “Let me again congratulate Brazil for being the host of the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup. And in the euphoria of the discussion, somebody told me, ‘Well, we should think for the future – not for ’27, but for the future – to increase as well the number of teams for the Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48, like we did for the men. More participants, more unity, more people happy’. Well, let’s see, let’s see.”