The United States is expected to host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup in a joint effort with Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica.
The presidents of the four nations’ soccer federations revealed the details of their bid plans at a press conference Monday in New York.
The joint bid is uncontested, leaving little doubt that FIFA will move forward with the plan. Soccer’s world governing body is scheduled to hold its FIFA Congress in Vancouver next April and is expected to ratify the bid then.
Four countries sharing hosting duties for a World Cup is unprecedented, but the 2031 edition will mark the first women’s tournament to feature 48 teams, expanded from 32.
It follows the U.S., Mexico and Canada hosting the men’s tournament in 2026.
“We’re incredibly proud to be leading this bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup alongside our Concacaf partners in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica,” U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. “Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to host the biggest and most impactful Women’s World Cup in history, one that will inspire a new generation of fans and help grow the women’s game across our entire region and around the world. We’re excited to drive lasting progress for women’s soccer by creating a legacy that reaches far beyond 2031 and sets a new global standard for the sport.”
The U.S., which hosted the 1999 and 2003 Women’s World Cups, is in line to become the first country to host the event three times.
Costa Rica and Jamaica have never hosted a World Cup. Mexico is preparing to stage men’s World Cup matches for the third time (following 1970 and 1986), but 2031 would be the nation’s first time holding a Women’s World Cup.
–Field Level Media
