U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation announced on Monday that they will not pursue co-hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The duo was previously seen as leading candidates to host the competition. Potentially having the tournament in North America would have given the area a stranglehold on major soccer competitions for at least three consecutive summers.
All three North American nations are set to host the 2026 World Cup in two years. The United States, Mexico, and Canada beat out Morocco in a vote on selecting a host area back in 2018. The Summer Olympics will also come to the States in 2028, as Los Angeles becomes just the third city to host the games three separate times.
Along with these global tournaments, other significant soccer competitions are also heading Stateside. The 2024 Copa America and the newly expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup are both coming to America as well.
While the U.S. and Mexico will not be hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup, they are not completely backing away from the competition. Instead, the two nations are planning to regroup and target the 2031 Women’s World Cup. U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone claimed that the move gives the two sides more time to plan for the tournament.
The organization is also asserting that they will learn valuable information from hosting the 2026 World Cup. They can then potentially use the knowledge five years later. “Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking – and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe,” Parlow Cone stated in an official press release.
“I’m proud of our commitment to provide equitable experiences for the players, fans and all our stakeholders. Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe.”
American soccer fans would have undoubtedly loved having all of these major tournaments held in the nation in successive summers. However, scheduling all of these matches is surely a headache for organizers. The wait also gives U.S. Soccer ample time to press FIFA over gender equality issues as well.
U.S. Soccer went on to reveal that the delay will help them call on FIFA to invest equally in both the men’s and women’s World Cups by 2031. The governing body of the sport has plans to spend nearly $900 million at the 2026 Men’s World Cup. However, FIFA previously shelled out just over $250 million at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
With Mexico and the United States dropping out of contention for the 2027 tournament, there are currently just two potential bids remaining. Brazil will now face off against a joint bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. FIFA is expected to officially name a 2027 Women’s World Cup host on May 17.
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