Soccer fans in the United States received news on Monday that the U.S. and Mexico’s joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup was withdrawn. The answer to the question of when will USA host Womens World Cup could be in 2031.
While the U.S. and Mexico have pulled out of trying to host the 2027 edition, the two federations are turning their focus toward 2031.
When will USA host Womens World Cup?
U.S. Soccer and Mexican Football Federation to shift focus to pursue 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup » https://t.co/SrYzHI81jY pic.twitter.com/LI7AsprQX6
— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) April 29, 2024
USA and the Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Women's World Cup.
They will instead focus on a bid for the 2031 tournament that calls for equal investment as the men's tournament. pic.twitter.com/vTh0brNceP— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 29, 2024
The U.S. and Mexico pulled out of trying to host the 2027 tournament because they want more time to prepare to try and set a record-breaking tournament as hosts. The bid from the U.S. and Mexico set the goals for attendance at 4.5 million fans and $3 billion in revenue.
One major factor in pulling out of the 2027 bid was the congestion of major soccer events in the two countries in the coming years. The U.S. is set to become the world hub of soccer for several years.
Major soccer events in the U.S.
- 2024 — Copa América
- 2025 — First 32-team Club World Cup & Concacaf Gold Cup
- 2026 — First 48-team men’s World Cup (hosted in Canada, USA and Mexico)
- 2028 — Los Angeles hosts Summer Olympics
Pushing the bid for hosting the Women’s World Cup back to 2031 will give U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation time to evaluate the successes and failures of these previous events to make for an even better hosting job in 2031.
While fans are understandably disappointed about the bid being pushed back, it might be for the best. Trying to host another major tournament among the packed schedule could’ve made for a lackluster Women’s World Cup.
“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,” Mexican Football president Ivar Sisniega said in a statement.
“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 U.S. and Mexico will attempt to make history with their 2031 bid and call for equal investment from FIFA in the women’s tournament as there is in the men’s.
A look at the prize money from the 2022 men’s tournament and 2023 women’s tournament showed that FIFA awarded the women’s teams just 12% of what the men made the previous year.
“Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking – and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe,” U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement.
“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.”
There are now just two potential hosts for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The tournament will either be hosted by Brazil or a joint bid from Germany, Netherlands and Belgium.
FIFA will vote on the decision on May 17.
The U.S. hosted two previous Women's World Cups in 1999 and 2003.
