After consulting the federations and interested parties, in the light of notable progress in the world of Women's Football, FIFA have unanimously decided to increase the number of teams participating at the World Cup, from 32 to 48, beginning from 2031. 

A new addition, already introduced for the 2026 World Cup, which will significantly increase representation, offering a larger number of countries and footballers the chance to compete in an elite competition, while acceleration the pace of investments in Women's football at a global level. The 48 team format will mean that there will be 12 groups, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104 and increasing the length of the tournament by a week. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino spoke about this development, "It's not just about having 16 more teams at the Women's World Cup, but about making the next steps in Women's football in general, ensuring that there is a greater number of Federations that have the chance to make the most of the tournament, so that they can improve their footballing structures in a holistic sense. The 2023 edition of the tournament, the first in which all of the teams won at least one game and teams from five confederations reached the elimination phase, as well as many other records, set a new standard for the global competition". 

FIFA also approved a plan of action for Afghan Women's Football, which will enable the creation of a team composed of Afghan Female Refugees (AWRT) and will enable the beginning of this activity at the earliest point possible. The FIFA President also commented not this, stating: "This is an historic initiative. FIFA is dedicated to giving every girl the chance to play football".