Women's World Cup: Home Nations to make joint bid to host 2035 tournament

The football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have jointly expressed their intention to bid for the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup. This joint bid aims to bring the top international event to the UK, further promoting the development of women's football in the region.

This announcement comes after FIFA suggested that the 2035 Women's World Cup should be held in Europe or Africa. Bidding materials for the 2031 and 2035 World Cups must be submitted in the fourth quarter of 2025. The United States has withdrawn from bidding for the 2027 World Cup, shifting its focus to becoming a strong candidate for the 2031 World Cup, while Brazil has been awarded the rights to host the 2027 World Cup.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that the government will give "full backing" to any bid. He added: "Football is central to our national identity now and in the future. That pride was on full display when England hosted the Women’s Euro 2022. Not only did it show our country at its best on the world stage, it inspired a generation of girls to take up the game and delivered a real economic boost."

Reportedly, the UK's 2035 bid may face a challenge from South Africa, which also withdrew from bidding for the 2027 World Cup. The FAs of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland released a statement on Wednesday expressing their delight at being involved in a joint bid. Mark Bullingham, CEO of the Football Association of England, said: "We are confident that we can deliver a fantastic tournament that builds on the success of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 and the rapid growth of women’s football in England that has followed." Ian Maxwell of the Scottish FA added that it would be "part of a decade-long journey to accelerate the growth of girls’ and women’s football at every level, from grassroots to domestic and international."

In recent years, the UK has seen success in hosting European football events, but securing the rights to host the World Cup has been elusive. The 2028 UEFA European Championship will be held in England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, while England and Scotland also hosted matches for the 2020 European Championship, with the final held at Wembley in July 2021 due to COVID-related delays. The last major event hosted by the UK was the Women's Euro 2022, when England beat Germany in the Wembley final, attracting 87,192 fans and further raising the profile of women's football. While England hosted the men's World Cup in 1966, the UK has never hosted the Women's World Cup. The UK's two previous bids to host the men's World Cup were unsuccessful. The 2018 bid attracted just one vote beyond its own FIFA executive committee member, while in 2006, England was again eliminated in the second round, receiving only two votes. The UK's chances of securing the 2035 Women's World Cup are considered much stronger, as the decision is now made by all 211 member associations.