New York (AFP) – United States soccer officials on Monday confirmed Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica have joined its bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup. The United States had already been announced by FIFA President Gianni Infantino as the sole bid for the expanded 48-team tournament. At a formal launch for the bid in New York, US officials said CONCACAF members Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica will also stage games in the tournament.
“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,” US 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.” The joint bid will be submitted to FIFA next month, with the global football governing body set to give its formal approval at its congress in Vancouver in April 2026. Infantino announced in April that the US was the lone bid for the 2031 tournament with “potentially some other CONCACAF members,” while the 2035 tournament would take place in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The tournament’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams was also announced earlier by Infantino.
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CONCACAF President and FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani also welcomed the joint bid in a statement. “Our Confederation’s commitment to women’s football has never been stronger, and hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2031 will build on this momentum, inspiring future generations of players and fans across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean,” Montagliani said. The United States and Mexico had initially planned to bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup but withdrew their candidacy weeks ahead of a 2024 FIFA vote in Bangkok in order to concentrate on a successful bid for 2031. The 2027 tournament was eventually awarded to Brazil.
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 the 2031 tournament will complete a busy cycle of major sporting events in North America. FIFA staged its inaugural Club World Cup in the region earlier this year, while the United States, Canada, and Mexico will host next year’s men’s World Cup. Los Angeles is also hosting the 2028 Olympics.
US Soccer chief Parlow Cone said the bid came with interest in women’s football at an all-time high in the United States. “Women’s soccer is thriving,” she said at a briefing in New York. “We have two division one professional leagues in the United States, stadiums sell out, and broadcasters are paying record rights fees.” Sponsors see women’s soccer as one of the best investments in sports. People everywhere are waking up to what soccer can be, not just here in the US, but across CONCACAF and around the world.
Parlow Cone joked that as the lone bidders for the 2031 tournament, she “liked our chances” of success. “When we are officially selected, we’ll work with FIFA to deliver the biggest, most impactful women’s sporting event in history,” she added. “We chose to do it together with our CONCACAF partners because this moment is bigger than any one country.” Jamaica Football Federation Michael Ricketts said the Caribbean nation’s hosting of games would “have a huge impact on the psyche of every single Jamaican.” “It is no ordinary feat for a small country like ours to host World Cup matches,” Ricketts said. “This is huge for Jamaica and for every person who proudly calls themselves Jamaican.”
© 2024 AFP
