Emma Njoku
For the first time, 32 teams will compete at the next edition of the FIFA women’s World Cup in 2023.
The FIFA Council made the confirmation on Wednesday, following what it described as the astounding success of this year’s women’s World Cup in France.
The nine countries bidding for the 2023 FIFA women’s World Cup were expected to submit their bid books by October 4, ahead of the next FIFA Council meeting scheduled for October 23-24 in Shanghai.
With a background document on the expansion, FIFA’s decision-making body voted in favour of adopting the 32-team format and, as a consequence, updating the hosting requirements and the timeline of the bidding process for 2023.
December had been fixed as the deadline for submission of bids, while the Bid Evaluation Report was expected to be published in April 2020. The host(s) would be announced in May 2020.
The FIFA administration will also initiate a consultation process with the confederations, to develop a proposal for the slot allocation, which will then require approval by the FIFA Council.
“The astounding success of this year’s FIFA 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. I am glad to see this proposal – the first of several − becoming a reality,” said FIFA President, Gianni Infantino.