The United States and Mexico will prioritise a bid for the 2031 Women's World Cup after officially pulling out of the race to host in 2027.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
USA & Mexico won't be hosting 2027 Women's World CupBid delayed until 2031 tournamentOfficial statement explains reason for decisionWHAT HAPPENED?
U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation confirmed on Monday that their joint bid for the 2027 World Cup, a year after both nations will co-host the 2026 men's tournament with Canada, has been formally withdrawn. Instead, the neighbouring countries intend to use the experience of 2026 to strengthen a revised bid for the 2031 Women's World Cup.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The 2027 joint bid forecasted 4.5 million fans, with projections of selling out large stadiums. But it also faced potential challenges attracting high-level sponsorship, sandwiched directly between the 2026 World Cup and Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Olympics. The bid was calling for the same investment as the men's tournament and will retain that for the 2031 proposal, although there could be competition from England by then.
WHAT A U.S. SOCCER STATEMENT SAID
Explaining the decision, a U.S. Soccer statement read: "The revised bid will allow U.S. Soccer 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."
WHAT U.S. SOCCER PRESIDENT CINDY PARLOW CONE SAID
"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 Parlow Cone, herself a World Cup winner on home soil in 1999. "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."