October 6 – FIFA has unveiled plans for a new women’s futsal tournament while expanding its existing women’s age-group competitions.
Following the success of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the expansion of the Women’s international tournaments will build on a breakthrough summer for the Women’s game globally.
Amongst the new proposals is the introduction of the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, slated to take place in 2025; a standalone tournament featuring 16 teams.
The slot allocation will be distributed among the confederations as follows: AFC (Asian Football Confederation): 3 slots, CAF (Confederation of African Football): 2 slots, Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football): 2 slots, CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation): 3 slots, OFC (Oceania Football Confederation): 1 slot, UEFA (Union of European Football Associations): 4 slots, and the host country will receive 1 slot.
Details regarding the tournament dates and the host country are yet to be disclosed, with FIFA saying there will be further updates in the coming months.
As well as adding the new tournament discipline for women, FIFA is expanding the U-20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024 from 16 to 24 participating teams. The tournament’s fixture dates have also been announced, with the competition beginning on August 31, with the final being played on 22 September 2024.
The approved slot allocation for this expanded event is: AFC: 4 slots, CAF: 4 slots, Concacaf: 4 slots, CONMEBOL: 4 slots, OFC: 2 slots, UEFA: 5 slots, and the host country, Colombia, will be granted 1 slot. This expansion promises to bring more countries into the fold in an effort to heighten the competition’s global appeal.
The FIFA Council also confirmed the dates for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Dominican Republic 2024, which will be held from October 16 to November 3. Additionally, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Seychelles 2025 is scheduled to take place from 1 to 11 May 2025.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734978714labto1734978714ofdlr1734978714owedi1734978714sni@g1734978714niwe.1734978714yrrah1734978714