USA expected to host Women’s World Cup in 2031, could be joined by other Concacaf nations

The U.S. is on track to co-host the 2031 Women’s World Cup alongside other North American nations while the U.K. is set to hold the subsequent edition in 2035, with FIFA confirming Thursday that those were the lone bids for the rights to host both tournaments.

FIFA’s deadline to submit bids for the hosting rights to either competition is Saturday, though no other nations seem poised to express interest. Any countries that meet Saturday’s deadline will then have until May 5 to confirm their bids by submitting the bidding agreement.

U.S. Soccer had previously expressed interest in hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup but announced last year a shift to the 2031 tournament. The initial bid included Mexico and CBS Sports confirmed last month that the neighboring nation could still host games in 2031, though U.S. Soccer could expand the hosting rights to other Concacaf nations as FIFA works out how many teams will participate in the 2031 tournament. FIFA expanded the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams starting with the 2026 edition, co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, and that expansion could come to the women’s competition in time for 2031.

“We are excited about the opportunity to co-host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup and, in collaboration with our Concacaf partners, are committed to delivering a tournament that leaves a lasting legacy – one that elevates women’s soccer across the world and inspires future generations of players and fans,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement on Thursday. “As FIFA finalizes the number of participating teams in the tournament, we will solidify our partnership structure with fellow Concacaf nations. We look forward to sharing more details and unveiling our full vision for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the near future.”

The U.S. has previously hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003, with the U.S. women’s national team winning the second of their four titles during the 1999 competition. The 2003 edition was to be hosted in China, but the SARS outbreak saw FIFA move it to the U.S. 

By the time the 2031 tournament takes place, the U.S. will also already have the experience of hosting two men’s World Cups in 1994 and 2026. 

The 2035 edition, meanwhile, will be a joint effort between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. None of those nations have hosted a Women’s World Cup before, though England hosted the men’s World Cup in 1966, when the hosts won their only title. England also hosted the 2022 Women’s Euro, which set attendance and viewership records and signaled a new era of growth for the women’s game in the soccer-loving nation.

“We are honoured to be the sole bidder for the Women’s World Cup 2035. Hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with our home nations partners will be very special. The hard work starts now, to put together the best possible bid by the end of the year,” England FA CEO Mark Bullingham said in a statement.

FIFA will formalize the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cup hosts in the second quarter of 2026. 

2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cup bid timeline

• April 5: Deadline to submit interest to host the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cup
• May 5: Deadline to confirm interest to host the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cup by submitting the bidding agreement
• Q2 2025: Bid workshop and observer program to take place
• Q4 2025: Deadline to submit bids to FIFA
• February 2026: FIFA to conduct site visits and inspections in bidding nations
• May 2026: FIFA to publish bid evaluation reports
• Q2 2026: Designation of bids by the FIFA Council
• Q2 2026: FIFA Council to appoint hosts for 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups; meeting location TBD