More appears to have been merrier at the Women's World Cup as teams that benefited from the expansion of the field to 32 in Australia and New Zealand have largely held up to scrutiny in the group stage.
FIFA expanded the tournament from 24 teams for 2023, with President Gianni Infantino citing the "astounding success" of the 2019 tournament and a need to foster growth in the women's sport.
The move prompted criticism that there was not enough talent in the women's game to justify the size — complaints that echoed the response to FIFA's plan to expand the men's tournament from 32 teams to 48 in 2026.
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