FIFA Plans To Launch New Women Tournaments
Last Friday, at a council meeting held by FIFA in Doha, Qatar, the football body declared plans to launch new women's tournaments.
According to the statement on its official website, the number of teams competing in the women's tournament at the Olympic Games will increase. “For women’s football, the current international match calendar structure will remain unchanged until 2025, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 and 2031 hosts to be decided in 2024 and 2025, respectively."
“The creation of a new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, a new Futsal Women’s World Cup and the expansion of the Olympic Games Women’s tournament from 12 to 16 teams have been endorsed,’’ the statement read.
Although specifics have yet to be announced, FIFA called the opening of both events "great news".
Although the exact date of the first event has not been set, it is expected to occur no sooner than 2025. This is because FIFA's council decided to continue the current women's calendar for another three years.
In addition, FIFA stated, "In establishing the details of the new international match calendars, due consideration shall be given to the players’ health and well-being as a primary goal."
As such, "all of the above key strategic principles will be detailed in consultation with the relevant stakeholders in the coming months."
At the same press conference, Infantino, FIFA's president, also voiced FIFA's support for expanding the women's Olympic tournament to 16 teams, the same number as the men's. The current roster size is 12 clubs.
In 2025, the number of participating teams in the men's FIFA Club World Cup will increase from seven to 32. Three English teams—Chelsea last year, Manchester United in 2008, and Liverpool this year—have won the event since its inception.