The United States is very likely to host the 2031 Women`s World Cup, possibly along with other countries from North America. The United Kingdom is expected to host the 2035 tournament. FIFA announced on Thursday that these are the only bids they have received for both events.
Saturday is the deadline for countries to officially bid to host either tournament, but it seems no other countries are planning to apply. Countries that submit bids by Saturday must then confirm their commitment by May 5th by submitting a formal bidding agreement.
The U.S. had considered hosting the 2027 Women`s World Cup but decided last year to focus on the 2031 tournament instead. Initially, Mexico was included in the bid, and it`s still possible they will co-host games in 2031. The U.S. might also include other nations from the Concacaf region as co-hosts, as FIFA is considering expanding the number of teams for the 2031 tournament. FIFA has already increased the men`s World Cup to 48 teams for the 2026 edition, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. A similar expansion could happen for the women`s competition by 2031.
U.S. Soccer released a statement on Thursday saying they are excited about the possibility of co-hosting the 2031 FIFA Women`s World Cup with their Concacaf partners. They are committed to making it a memorable tournament that will boost women`s soccer worldwide and inspire future players and fans. They added that as FIFA decides on the final number of teams, they will finalize their partnerships with other Concacaf nations and will share more details about their plans for the 2031 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 during the 1999 tournament. The 2003 tournament was originally planned for China, but due to the SARS outbreak, FIFA moved it to the U.S.
By 2031, the U.S. will also have experience hosting two men`s World Cups, in 1994 and 2026.
The 2035 tournament is planned to be a joint bid from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. None of these nations 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-breaking attendance and viewership, indicating significant growth for women`s soccer in the UK.
England FA CEO Mark Bullingham stated that they are honored to be the only bidder for the 2035 Women`s World Cup. He said hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with their home nations partners would be very special and that 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 by submitting the bidding agreement
- Q2 2025: Bid workshop and observer program
- Q4 2025: Deadline to submit bids to FIFA
- February 2026: FIFA 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
