12 November: FIFA has confirmed that the two joint bids for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups have met the minimum hosting requirements.
On Wednesday, the world governing body released the bid evaluation reports for the 2031 and 2035 editions of the tournament and both bids, following inspection visits to the bidding countries, have met the minimum accommodation requirements.
The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica, bidding for the 2031 final, received an overall score of 4.4 out of 5. The bid proposes 20 host sites, with 14 in the United States, four in Mexico and one each in Jamaica and Costa Rica. Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Dallas (AT&T Stadium), Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium) and East Rutherford (MetLife) are the candidates to star in the final. The new RFK Stadium in Washington, DC has not yet been built, but all other proposed sites are existing stadiums.
The world governing body established that US government agencies have offered letters of support. FIFA noted: “Consequently, while certain commitments require further commitment, there is a strong basis for confidence that continued dialogue and collaboration with relevant government agencies should support the successful organization and delivery of the tournament, should the bid be successful.”
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, bidding for the 2035 tournament, received an overall score of 4.3 out of 5. They propose 16 potential host cities across the four candidate countries, including 22 stadiums.
FIFA said: “The bid is based on the shared commitment of the four member associations and their experience (both current and future) in hosting major international sporting events, such as UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 and UEFA Euro 2028.
“From a commercial point of view, the bid presents a strong proposition, supported by significant revenue potential in media, marketing, ticketing and hospitality. The UK’s established football culture, passionate fans and mature commercial markets, combined with the proposed stadium capacities and favorable broadcast times, offer opportunities to achieve strong attendances and revenues.”
The world governing body noted with satisfaction the government’s support for the bid: “The legal and governmental framework underpinning the bid provides a broadly comprehensive basis for the conduct of the tournament.”
In 2027, Brazil will host the last 32-team Women’s World Cup before the tournament expands to 48 teams in 2031. Earlier this summer, the USA, Mexico and Canada hosted the first 48-team Men’s World Cup, taking the notion of a sporting mega-event to the extreme but generating huge revenue.
The FIFA Extraordinary Congress will make the host selections on 23 November.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at samindra.kunti@insideworldfootball.com
