ZURICH — The expected bid by the United States and Mexico to co-host the 2031 women’s World Cup can face only a rival bid from Africa, with FIFA on Wednesday excluding Europe from the contest.
FIFA also invited bids for the 2035 tournament only from Europe or Africa, and the four British federations — England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales — said they would enter the contest.
FIFA said it expected to pick hosts for both tournaments at its annual congress next year, which likely will be held on the eve of the men’s 2026 World Cup being cohosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
The U.S. and Mexico bid has been favored to win 2031 women’s World Cup hosting rights since last year, when the federations pulled out of bidding for the 2027 edition. That 2027 tournament will be played in Brazil, which beat a European cohosting bid from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
North American soccer body Concacaf is due its turn to host another women’s World Cup ahead of European body UEFA.
Canada hosted the 2015 tournament, and France hosted the 2019 edition. The U.S. hosted the women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003. Australia and New Zealand cohosted in 2023.
No African country has hosted a women’s World Cup, the first of which was in 1991. South Africa’s bid in the 2027 contest was withdrawn months before getting to the vote.
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British bid for 2035
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed a 2035 bid.
“Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity,” he said. “The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 on home turf would be another monumental moment in our sporting history, driving growth and leaving a lasting legacy.”
The Football Associations of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales will submit a declaration of interest to FIFA in the first quarter of this year.
England hosted the women’s European Championship in 2022, and, in a joint bid with Ireland, Scotland and Wales, will stage the men’s Euros in 2028.
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New women’s club tournaments
FIFA announced it will launch a women’s Club World Cup in 2028, later than original plans for 2026 had said.
The tournament will have 19 teams. Six in an initial playoff round will join 13 teams in the group stage, with four groups of four. The group stage will have two direct qualifiers each from North and Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia, and five from Europe.
Each of the six regional confederations — the five above plus Oceania — each get one slot in the playoff round.
In 2026, 2027, and 2029, FIFA will run what it’s calling the Women’s Champions Cup, with the winner of each continent’s club championship. The Concacaf titleholder will go directly to the semifinals and face the winner of South America’s Copa Libertadores, while the European Champions League winner will face the winner of playoffs among the Asian, African, and Oceanian champions.
Those games will be played in late January of each year, with the 2026 final set for Feb. 1.
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Inquirer staff writer Jonathan Tannenwald contributed to this article.