August 18, (THEWILL) – FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the decision to expand the 2023 Women’s World Cup to 32 teams, calling it the “biggest and best ever” edition of the tournament.
In a speech at a FIFA convention on women’s football in Sydney, Infantino hit back at early critics who doubted whether the World Cup could successfully accommodate more teams. He pointed to the exciting football on display, the presence of debut nations like Jamaica, Morocco and South Africa in the knockout rounds, and the record-breaking revenue generated.
“They were saying it wasn’t going to work, the level is too different, you’ll have 15-0 scores, it will be bad for women’s football,” Infantino recalled. “But I’m sorry, FIFA was right. We had many countries who thought they now have a chance to participate.”
Infantino said the 2023 edition has so far generated over $570 million in revenue, breaking even financially. He reiterated FIFA’s commitment to women’s football, having invested $1 billion in the women’s game. “This shows our strategy was not too bad, but of course, we still have to do much better,” he commented. “We are on the right path.”
England and Spain will contest the final on Sunday in Sydney, with the month-long 32-team tournament culminating in what Infantino labelled the “biggest and best ever” Women’s World Cup.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
