Soccer

UK football associations preparing joint bid to host 2035 Women’s World Cup

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland involved after Uefa and Caf members were invited to bid for event by Fifa

Spain players celebrate after the team's victory over England in the Fifa Women's World Cup in Australia & New Zealand back in 2023. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Spain players celebrate after the team's victory over England in the Fifa Women's World Cup in Australia & New Zealand back in 2023. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
PA Media
Guardian sport
Wed Mar 05 2025 - 20:49

The United Kingdom’s four separate football associations are preparing to launch a joint bid to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s FAs are preparing an expression of interest to co-host the 2035 edition of the competition, an English FA statement released on Wednesday said.

The statement came after Fifa revealed the timeline for the bidding processes of the 2031 and 2035 tournaments. Members of Uefa and Caf – Africa’s governing federation – have been invited to bid for the 2035 edition.

According to the FA, 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. The United States are expected to host in 2031, having dropped out of the running for the 2027 bid, won by Brazil.

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“Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity,” said the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer. “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 UK has never hosted a Women’s World Cup and last hosted a major women’s international tournament in 2022, when England won the European Championships on home soil. The event, which took place only in English venues, was delayed by a year due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe.

England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland will host the men’s European Championships in 2028. The successful bid initially included Northern Ireland, but Belfast’s Casement Park was later dropped as a host stadium.