It looks like the U.S. will co-host the 2031 Women`s World Cup with other countries in North America. The UK is also expected to host the 2035 tournament. FIFA announced on Thursday that these are the only bids to host these two events.
Saturday is the deadline for countries to officially bid for the hosting rights, but it seems no other countries are planning to apply. Those who bid by Saturday have until May 5th to formally confirm their bid.
The U.S. Soccer Federation was interested in hosting the 2027 Women`s World Cup but decided last year to focus on the 2031 tournament instead. Initially, Mexico was part of the bid, and it`s still possible they will host games in 2031. The U.S. might also include other Concacaf countries as co-hosts, as FIFA is deciding how many teams will play in the 2031 tournament. FIFA is increasing the men`s World Cup to 48 teams in 2026, which the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will co-host, and a similar expansion could happen for the women`s tournament by 2031.
U.S. Soccer released a statement on Thursday saying they are excited about the chance to co-host the 2031 FIFA Women`s World Cup with their Concacaf partners. They are committed to making it a great tournament that will inspire future generations of players and fans and boost women`s soccer worldwide. As FIFA decides on the number of teams, they will finalize their partnerships with other Concacaf nations and will share more details about their plans for the 2031 FIFA Women`s World Cup soon.
The U.S. has hosted the Women`s World Cup before, in 1999 and 2003. The U.S. women`s national team won their second of four titles in the 1999 tournament. In 2003, China was supposed to host, but due to the SARS outbreak, FIFA moved it to the U.S.
By 2031, the U.S. will also have experience hosting the men`s World Cup twice, in 1994 and 2026.
The 2035 tournament will be a joint bid from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. None of these countries have hosted a Women`s World Cup before, although England hosted the men`s World Cup in 1966, which they won. England also hosted the 2022 Women`s Euro, which had record attendance and viewership, showing the growing popularity of women`s soccer in the UK.
Mark Bullingham, CEO of the Football Association in England, said they are honored to be the only bidder for the 2035 Women`s World Cup. Hosting the first FIFA World Cup with their home nation partners since 1966 will be very special, and they are starting work now to create the best possible bid by the end of the year.
FIFA will officially announce the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women`s World Cups in the second quarter of 2026.
2031 and 2035 Women`s World Cup Bid Timeline
- April 5: Deadline to submit interest to host the 2031 and 2035 Women`s World Cup
- May 5: Deadline to confirm interest to host the 2031 and 2035 Women`s World Cup by submitting the bidding agreement
- Q2 2025: Bid workshop and observer program to take place
- Q4 2025: Deadline to submit bids to FIFA
- February 2026: FIFA to conduct site visits and inspections in bidding nations
- May 2026: FIFA to publish bid evaluation reports
- Q2 2026: Designation of bids by the FIFA Council
- Q2 2026: FIFA Council to appoint hosts for 2031 and 2035 Women`s World Cups; meeting location TBD
