FIFA to form Afghan Women’s Refugee Team

ISLAMABAD: The FIFA Council has decided to establish an Afghan women’s refugee team (AWRT) and increase the number of teams in the Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48 as of the 2031 edition.

The FIFA Council has approved the FIFA Strategy for Action for Afghan Women’s Football, which foresees the establishment of the AWRT and provides the FIFA administration with a mandate to organise and facilitate its operations to start its activities as soon as possible. FIFA is engaging directly with the relevant players.

“This is a landmark initiative,” added the FIFA President. “FIFA is committed to giving every girl the possibility to play football.”

After consultation with the confederations and other stakeholders, and given the remarkable recent strides made by women’s football across the world, the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to expand the number of participating teams in the FIFA Women’s World Cup from 32 to 48 as of the 2031 edition.

The decision, taken at a meeting held virtually, will significantly broaden representation, offering more nations and players access to elite competition and accelerating investment in women’s football worldwide.

The 48-team FIFA Women’s World Cup will adopt a 12-group format, increasing the total number of matches from 64 to 104 and extending the tournament by one week. The hosting requirements for the 2031 and 2035 editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup have been adapted accordingly.

FIFA will further engage with the stakeholders involved in the consultation process to address their feedback.

“This is not just about having 16 more teams playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup but taking the next steps in relation to the women’s game in general by ensuring that more FIFA Member Associations have the chance to benefit from the tournament to develop their women’s football structures from a holistic point of view,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

The FIFA Council also unanimously approved the revised edition of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), which includes a comprehensive set of proactive regulatory measures aimed at countering discriminatory behaviour both on and off the pitch.