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BRAZIL, AUSTRALIA BID FOR 32-TEAM WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

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BY LIAM MORGAN

Australia and Brazil have confirmed their respective bids for the 2023 Women’s World Cup are unaffected by the expansion of the tournament from 24 to 32 teams.

The addition of eight teams, approved by the FIFA Council this week, meant world football’s governing body effectively had to re-open the bidding process for the event.

FIFA has extended the deadline for bids for the 2023 World Cup to be submitted from October to December as a result.

The organisation’s ruling Council is also set to announce the hosts of the tournament in May 2020, two months later than originally planned.

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Nine bids were submitted – from Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and a joint effort from North and South Korea – by the initial deadline.

But it is feasible countries may have to drop out of the race owing to the additional pressure the eight extra teams will put on the host country.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) was the first to reiterate its intention to stage the 2023 World Cup.

“Australia stands ready to work with FIFA to deliver an historic 32 nation FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023,” said FFA chairman Chris Nikou.

“FFA will await the updated documentation from FIFA and, once received, will work diligently with relevant stakeholders to adjust features of our original and ongoing planning to address the expanded competition requirements.”

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The Brazilian Football Confederation has also confirmed it is able to host a 32-team tournament.

The 32 nations will be split into eight groups of four at the finals, mirroring the format of the men’s World Cup between 1998 and 2018.

United States are the current women’s world champions after they beat The Netherlands 2-0 in the final in France last month.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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