Women's World Cup officially increases to 48 teams, Vietnamese women's football has a great opportunity

On May 10, the FIFA Council unanimously approved the expansion of the Women's World Cup from 32 to 48 teams starting in 2031. The Asian region has 8 slots, this is a great opportunity for the Vietnamese women's team to continue participating.

The road back to the World Cup for Vietnamese women's football is wide open

The Vietnamese women's team will participate in the World Cup for the first time in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand. Although they stopped in the group stage with 3 losses, the team of veteran coach Mai Duc Chung showed many of their marks with convincing efforts and courage.

Vietnam women's team to attend World Cup for the first time in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand

Photo: VFF

The 2023 and upcoming 2027 Women's World Cups in Brazil will still feature 32 teams, similar to the increase from 24 teams that began in 2019 in France. But from the 2031 World Cup in the US, the FIFA Council has unanimously approved expanding the number of teams to 48.

“This is not just about adding 16 teams to the Women’s World Cup, but also about taking the next steps in relation to women’s football globally, by ensuring that more FIFA member associations and confederations have the opportunity to benefit from the tournament to develop their women’s football structures in an inclusive way,” explained FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Spain women's team wins 2023 Women's World Cup

Photo: Reuters

"The 2023 Women's World Cup, the first tournament in which teams from all continental confederations won at least one match and teams from five confederations qualified for the knockout stages, among other records, has set a new standard for global competitiveness. This decision (to expand to 48 teams) ensures that we are maintaining the momentum of women's football globally," FIFA President Gianni Infantino stressed.

The International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro) also announced its support for FIFA's decision to increase the number of teams participating in the Women's World Cup to 48 from 2031.

"It is important that the development of women's football globally goes hand in hand with improved working conditions and the advancement of players, as well as further development," FFIFPro said in a statement.

With the 2031 Women's World Cup increasing to 48 teams, Asia will have 8 places in the final round. The Vietnamese women's team is currently ranked 37th in the world and 6th in Asia, based on the latest FIFA rankings in March 2025.

To catch up with the opportunity to return to the World Cup, Vietnamese women's football also needs to build a foundation right now with a new generation of players, aiming for the upcoming Women's World Cup in 2027 to test the waters, before finding opportunities for themselves from 2031.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/world-cup-nu-chinh-thuc-tang-48-doi-bong-da-nu-viet-nam-co-co-hoi-lon-185250510081108576.htm