US and UK to host 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups. FIFA to rule on expansion to 48 teams

April 4 – The United States are set to have their second World Cup within a five-year time span after FIFA confirmed they are the only bidders for the 2031 Women’s World Cup. For 2035 the women will be headed for the UK after FIFA revealed the home nations are ‘sole bidders’ for the tournament.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland submitted a joint expression of interest in March to hold the World Cup.

It looked as though they would face a challenge after Spanish federation president Rafael Louzan said last week that they were “working on” a joint bid alongside Portugal and Morocco. However, the deadline for expressions of interest passed on Monday and the FIFA boss said at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade that the UK’s bid is the only “valid” one received for 2035.

“Today I can confirm as part of the bidding process that we received one bid for 2031 and one valid bid for 2035,” said Infantino. The 2031 bid is the United States of America and potentially some other Concacaf nations, while the 2035 bid is from Europe and the British nations plus Northern Ireland.

“So the path is there for the Women’s World Cup in 2031 and 2035 to take place in some great nations and further boost the women’s football movement,” continued Infantino.

England hosted the 1966 men’s World Cup but has not hosted a global finals since.  FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “We are honoured to be the sole bidder for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035. The hard work starts now to put together the best possible bid by the end of the year.”

Four years earlier, in 2031, the U.S. will play host to the tournament. Last April, U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation announced their joint intention to bid for the 2031 event. The two federations had previously withdrawn from the 2027 bidding process, which Brazil ultimately won. The US is also considering staging some matches in Costa Rica (who hosted the U20 Women’s World Cup in 2022), and Jamaica as part of its 2031 proposal.

Canada hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2015, widely regarded as the catalyst that sparked the growth of the competition.

FIFA has asked bidding nations to submit their official bids by the final quarter of 2025, with a decision expected in 2026. The US has twice previously hosted the Women’s World Cup, in 1999 and 2003. The 1999 edition marked a turning point for the public visibility of the women’s football, with the American team capturing the title in a dramatic penalty shootout against China.

Hosting the 2031 Women’s World Cup will add to a growing football calendar in the U.S. The country is also set to host the expanded Club World Cup this summer – FIFA’s ambitious new revenue-generating venture – and will co-host the 2026 Men’s World Cup alongside Mexico and Canada. Additionally, Los Angeles will host the Olympic football tournaments in 2028.

While the Women’s World Cup currently features 32 teams, FIFA is considering expanding the tournament to 48 by 2031 to match the men’s format.

Infantino first floated the idea at the 2024 FIFA Congress in Bangkok and reiterated it in Belgrade, saying: “Our idea is to increase the number of participating teams from 32 to 48 as of 2031. This will be further discussed at the FIFA Council before the Congress in May.”

FIFA’s hosting requirements, published in March, are still based on the 32-team format but notes that changes may be made.

“Should any such change arise,” the document reads, “all requirements will be adjusted accordingly to give bidders enough time to adapt their proposals.”

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