FIFA confirms 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cup bids meet hosting standards

FIFA has confirmed that the joint bids to host the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups have met the minimum requirements for staging the tournaments.

The bids will now be presented for approval at an extraordinary FIFA Congress meeting on 23 November.

The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica have submitted a joint proposal for the 2031 tournament. It includes 20 stadiums across 20 cities and received an overall evaluation score of 4.4 out of 5.

The 2031 edition would be the first Women’s World Cup to feature 48 teams.

For 2035, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have put forward a joint bid featuring 19 stadiums in 15 cities. FIFA’s assessment gave that proposal a score of 4.3 out of 5.

The extraordinary FIFA Congress will consider both hosting bids on 23 November, with approval required before either proposal can proceed.

The 2035 tournament is set to follow the same competition format as the expanded 2031 edition. The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups of four, with the knockout stage beginning with the round of 32.

The next Women’s World Cup will be held in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027.