UK set to bid for Women’s World Cup 2035

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England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are launching a joint bid to host the Women’s World Cup in 2035.

The FA said the decision to enter the race follows a decision by the FIFA Council to recommend that the 2035 tournament is hosted in Europe or in Africa.

The declaration of interest will be submitted to FIFA in the first quarter of 2025.

Bids for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cup will be submitted during the fourth quarter of 2025, with a decision on both tournaments anticipated to take place during the second quarter of 2026.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity. Whether we watch on TV, play at the weekends like I do, or simply enjoy soaking up the atmosphere in the pub, it brings communities together like little else.

“That pride was on full display when England hosted UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy.

“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 FAs’ intention to bid has my government’s full support.”

The 2023 competition was hosted by Australia and New Zealand, making it the first edition to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, the first Women’s World Cup to be hosted by two countries, as well as the first FIFA competition for either men or women to be held across two confederations.

The 2027 competition will be hosted by Brazil, making it the first edition to be held in South America.

Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport, commented, “We know that live sport excites, inspires and changes lives and the FIFA Women’s World Cup represents the pinnacle for women’s football.

“It’s the biggest global sporting event that the UK has never hosted, and we’ve made no secret of our ambition to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the UK. We are excited to explore how we can make this ambition a reality alongside our partners.”

Mark Bullingham, CEO of the English FA, added, “Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035 would be an honour. 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.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to welcome the world, and hosting participating nations and fans in sold-out stadiums.

“There is outstanding support for the women’s game in this country and we want to maximise this, not only for women’s and girls’ football here but also for the benefit of the global game.”

Patrick Nelson, CEO of the Irish FA, said: “The Irish Football Association would be delighted to co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035. Women’s and girls’ football is growing rapidly in Northern Ireland and this opportunity to serve the world, coming on the day we launch our new women’s and girls’ strategy ‘Together we thrive – Elevating the game for everyone’ will encourage and excite even more girls to dream of wearing our green shirt on home turf at the greatest of all competitions.”

Ian Maxwell, CEO of the Scottish FA, commented: “Being part of a UK bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup will provide a memorable global spectacle for fans of all ages. As well as having the eyes of the world on the sport’s biggest tournament, it will allow our fans to experience the magic of a Women’s World Cup on our doorstep, ideally with the Scotland Women’s National team taking centre stage at Hampden Park.

“It will also enable us to super-charge the progress made in growing women’s football in Scotland. While it is early days, it would represent an enthralling destination as part of a 10-year journey to accelerate the women’s game at grassroots, domestic and international levels.”

Noel Mooney, CEO of the Welsh FA, said: “Having just qualified for our first major Senior Women’s tournament, interest and participation in women’s football is growing rapidly across Wales.

“We hope to welcome the world to Wales in 2035 to continue to build the women’s and girls’ game by playing a major role in hosting the greatest FIFA World Cup Finals ever!”

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