NEW DELHI: The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, just weeks before FIFA is set to vote on the tournament’s host at a meeting in Bangkok.
The two countries’ football federations announced in a joint statement that they will now focus on submitting a successful bid for the 2031 tournament.
This unexpected decision comes as FIFA officials prepare to hold an open vote at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok on May 17 to determine the 2027 hosts.With the US-Mexico bid withdrawn, two contenders remain: a joint bid from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and a solo bid from Brazil.
The United States had been aiming to host the women’s football flagship event for the third time, having successfully hosted the tournament on its own in 1999 and 2003.
However, the withdrawal of the US-Mexico bid for 2027 comes amidst a crowded calendar of large-scale sporting events in North America. The region is already preparing to host the men’s 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2024, and this year’s 16-team Copa America.
According to US Soccer, postponing their bid until 2031 will provide tournament organizers with more time to plan and incorporate lessons learned from the region’s hosting of the 2026 men’s World Cup. “Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe,” said US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone.
“I’m proud of our commitment to provide equitable experiences for the players, fans and all our stakeholders. Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe.”
Mexico Football Federation chief Ivar Sisniega echoed Parlow Cone’s sentiments, stating, “After careful analysis, we feel that moving our bid back to 2031 will allow us to promote and build up to the most successful Women’s World Cup ever. The strength and universality of our professional women’s leagues, coupled with our experience from organizing the 2026 World Cup, means that we will be able to provide the best infrastructure as well as an enthusiastic fan base that will make all the participating teams feel at home and to put together a World Cup that will contribute to the continued growth of women’s football.”
The most recent women’s World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand in 2022, while the last time the tournament was hosted in North America was in 2015 when Canada served as the host nation. The United States has been the most successful country in women’s football, having won the World Cup on four occasions.
(Inputs from AFP)
The two countries’ football federations announced in a joint statement that they will now focus on submitting a successful bid for the 2031 tournament.
This unexpected decision comes as FIFA officials prepare to hold an open vote at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok on May 17 to determine the 2027 hosts.With the US-Mexico bid withdrawn, two contenders remain: a joint bid from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and a solo bid from Brazil.
The United States had been aiming to host the women’s football flagship event for the third time, having successfully hosted the tournament on its own in 1999 and 2003.
However, the withdrawal of the US-Mexico bid for 2027 comes amidst a crowded calendar of large-scale sporting events in North America. The region is already preparing to host the men’s 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2024, and this year’s 16-team Copa America.
According to US Soccer, postponing their bid until 2031 will provide tournament organizers with more time to plan and incorporate lessons learned from the region’s hosting of the 2026 men’s World Cup. “Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe,” said US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone.
“I’m proud of our commitment to provide equitable experiences for the players, fans and all our stakeholders. Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe.”
Mexico Football Federation chief Ivar Sisniega echoed Parlow Cone’s sentiments, stating, “After careful analysis, we feel that moving our bid back to 2031 will allow us to promote and build up to the most successful Women’s World Cup ever. The strength and universality of our professional women’s leagues, coupled with our experience from organizing the 2026 World Cup, means that we will be able to provide the best infrastructure as well as an enthusiastic fan base that will make all the participating teams feel at home and to put together a World Cup that will contribute to the continued growth of women’s football.”
The most recent women’s World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand in 2022, while the last time the tournament was hosted in North America was in 2015 when Canada served as the host nation. The United States has been the most successful country in women’s football, having won the World Cup on four occasions.
(Inputs from AFP)