The Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales intend to submit an Expression of Interest to FIFA with a view to the United Kingdom hosting the 2035 women’s World Cup, they said on Wednesday.

It would be the first time the tournament has been held on British soil, following two women’s European Championships in England in 2005 and 2022.

FIFA’s Council recently decided to recommend Europe or Africa as potential hosts for the 2035 tournament.

“The women’s World Cup on home turf would be another monumental moment in our sporting history, driving growth and leaving a lasting legacy. The FAs’ intention to bid has my government’s full support,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.

FIFA announced that bids for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups will be submitted in late 2025, with decisions expected by mid-2026.

“We strongly believe that we could organise a fantastic tournament, building on the success of the UEFA women’s EURO in 2022 and the subsequent rapid growth of the women’s game in England,” said Mark Bullingham, CEO of the English Football Association.

The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be held in Brazil, the first time the tournament has been held in South America. The host of the 2031 event is yet to be decided.

-Reuters

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The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) said on March 5 it will press ahead with a joint bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup after a FIFA decision boosted the Concacaf region’s chances of staging the tournament.

The USSF said in a brief statement on social media that it planned to “complete the bid process to host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup” in partnership with the Concacaf regional federation and its members.

“We are excited by the opportunity to welcome teams and fans, inspire the next generation and grow the game regionally and globally,” it said.

The United States and Mexico had initially planned to bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup but withdrew their candidacy in 2024 weeks ahead of a Fifa vote in Bangkok, saying they would instead concentrate on a successful bid for 2031.

The 2027 tournament was eventually awarded to Brazil.

In a statement issued earlier on March 5, FIFA announced that the field of eligible regions for the 2031 hosts had been narrowed down to two – North America, Central America and the Caribbean (Concacaf) and Africa (CAF).

A US joint bid would still face competition, however, with both South Africa and Morocco in the running to stage the 2031 tournament.

While FIFA has repeatedly signalled its willingness to take the Women’s World Cup to new territories, a North American bid would represent an attractive commercial option for FIFA with the likelihood of packed stadiums and record attendances.

North America has hosted the tournament on three previous occasions, with the USA solo hosts in 1999 and 2003, and Canada staging the event in 2015.

Hosting in 2031 would complete a busy cycle of major sporting events in North America.

FIFA is already staging its inaugural Club World Cup in the region in 2025, and the United States, Canada and Mexico are hosting the 2026 men’s World Cup.

Los Angeles is also hosting the 2028 Olympics.

Meanwhile, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the 2026 World Cup final in New Jersey will make history by having a Super Bowl-style half-time show.

“This will be a historic moment for the Fifa World Cup and a show befitting the biggest sporting event in the world,” Infantino said.

No further information about specific details or duration of the half-time show were revealed, but Coldplay band members Chris Martin and Phil Harvey will determine the artists who will perform.

The move mirrors the show held during the final of the 2024 Copa America in Miami, when Colombian star Shakira performed at half-time at the Hard Rock Stadium.

-AFP

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The inaugural Women’s Club World Cup will be pushed back to 2028 from its original date of 2026, soccer’s global governing body announced on Wednesday.

Instead, the new six-team FIFA Women’s Champions Cup will debut in 2026 and feature the six continental club champions, FIFA said after Wednesday’s FIFA Council meeting where the new programme was approved.

“Women’s football has reached new heights at national-team level, and now it’s time for global competitions that showcase the best clubs from around the world,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said. “These FIFA competitions will stimulate growth, inspire athletes, create new rivalries, engage more fans and crown heroes from all over the world.”

The two-year delay to the Women’s Club World Cup, which was first announced after a council meeting in May, is to allow stakeholders more time to prepare and give women players some breathing space in an already condensed schedule.

The Women’s Club World Cup will see six teams take part in the play-in stage. The three winners will advance to the group stage and join 13 other clubs.

The AFC, CAF, Concacaf and CONMEBOL confederations will each have two direct slots, while UEFA will have five berths. The group stage will feature four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the knockout stage.

The first three editions of the Champions Cup, meanwhile, will be held in 2026, ’27 and ’29.

“These are more than just new tournaments – these are drivers for the future of our sport that will raise standards, provide invaluable opportunities for growth and local development, and generate new revenue – all on a global scale,” said Jill Ellis, FIFA’s Chief Football Officer, and a two-times World Cup winner as a head coach.

The semi-finals and final of the inaugural Champions Cup will be held from January 28 and February 1 at a neutral venue still to be determined.

-Reuters

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