THE 2023 WOMEN’S World Cup will feature an additional eight teams after Fifa this evening voted in favour of expanding the number of participants from 24 to 32.
As the bidding process for the 2023 tournament has already started, the Fifa Council decided not to wait until its next scheduled meeting in Shanghai in October to make the decision.
“The astounding success of this year’s Women’s World Cup in France made it very clear that this is the time to keep the momentum going and take concrete steps to foster the growth of women’s football,” said Fifa President, Gianni Infantino.
“I am glad to see this proposal – the first of several − becoming a reality.
“The expansion reaches far beyond the eight additional participating teams; it means that, from now on, dozens more member associations will organise their women’s football programme knowing they have a realistic chance of qualifying.
The World Cup is the most powerful trigger for the professionalisation of the women’s game, but it comes but once every four years and is only the top of a much greater pyramid.
“In the meantime, we all have a duty to do the groundwork and strengthen women’s football development infrastructure across all confederations.”
Nine member states are expected to lodge bid books for the global showpiece on 4 October. The nine parties interested in hosting are Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and a joint bid from South Korea and North Korea.
December 2019 will be the deadline for submissions. The successful host nation or nations will be announced in May 2020.
The USA successfully defended their world title in Lyon earlier this month, beating the Netherlands 2-0 in the 2019 Women’s World Cup final.
