The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their shared bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, instead choosing to pursue the 2031 tournament, their national governing bodies confirmed on Monday.
It comes as the decision for who will host the 2027 tournament is fast approaching, with the 74th FIFA Congress set to come to a conclusion on May 17th.
Two candidates now remain in the race to host that next edition; Brazil, and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
Similarly to the US and Mexico, South Africa had also put their name forward to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, but withdrew their bid last November, opting to hone their resources and efforts in a bid for the 2031 tournament instead.
Bid for the 2027 World Cup withdrawn. ❌ The U.S. Soccer and Mexican Football Federation are focusing on pursuing the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.#uswnt #mexico #worldcup2027 #fifa pic.twitter.com/KVFFHSuJgS
— Soccerdonna (@soccerdonna) April 30, 2024
In a joint statement, US Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation described the reasons behind their decision to delay until the next cycle.
This included a “historic first” where they outlined their bid will “call for equal investment as the Men’s tournament, eliminating investment disparities to fully maximise the commercial potential of the women’s tournament. ”
Seeing as the next FIFA Men’s World Cup is to take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the organisations also mention how the revised bid will allow for them “to build on the learnings and success of the 2026 World Cup, better support our host cities, expand our partnerships and media deals, and further engage with our fans so we can host a record-breaking tournament in 2031.”
“Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking – and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximise its impact across the globe,” US Soccer president, Cindy Parlow Cone, said.
“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,” she added.
Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany bid to co-host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. pic.twitter.com/ykeTZiRMZs
— Peter van der Vliet (@VlietSeoul) May 1, 2024
Ivar Sisniega, President of the Mexican Football Federation, also expressed his thoughts, putting forward that they “are fully committed to organising a memorable and historic Women’s World Cup that the players and fans will benefit from.”
“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,” he added.
“The strength and universality of our professional women’s leagues, coupled with our experience from organising 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,” he concluded.
The statement the draws to a close with a final line, where it says that “the U.S. and Mexican Federations look forward to collaborating with our partners to ensure a successful bid for 2031.”
The most recent Women’s World Cup was hosted by Australia and New Zealand, last summer in 2023, where Spain were crowned the ultimate victors.
Breaking multiple records along the way, as with previous editions that have gone before, it has set the bar for all future venues.
The U.S. and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Instead, they'll pursue the 2031 tournament and, for the first time, call for equal investment as the Men’s World Cup. pic.twitter.com/UIMoWpUVg4— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 29, 2024
