The United Kingdom is all but certain to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup after Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed it was the only valid bid.
The Football Associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland announced last month that they were launching a joint bid to host the tournament in 10 years’ time.
The president of the Spanish FA (RFEF), Rafael Louzan, had previously said they were “working on” a joint bid with Portugal and Morocco, who will co-host the 2030 men’s World Cup.
There was confusion over Spain and Portugal’s position after the deadline for expressions of interest passed on Monday afternoon and it has now been confirmed that they did not submit a valid bid, so the UK is now awaiting formal confirmation as hosts.
It is a similar situation to the Saudi Arabia bid for the 2034 men’s World Cup. Saudi Arabia was the sole bidder for that tournament but the country was only officially confirmed as hosts following a Fifa Congress vote.
The UK bid will now go unopposed to Fifa Congress in the second quarter of next year. It will be the first World Cup held in England since the men’s competition in 1966, which was won by the host country.
US may host 2031 World Cup
Infantino also confirmed that the United States is the sole bidder for the 2031 tournament, though other Concacaf nations may form part of their proposal.
Only countries in Europe or Africa could bid for the 2035 tournament because of Fifa’s rotation rules. Brazil will host the 2027 World Cup.
Infantino, who was speaking at the governing body’s congress in Belgrade, added that he wants to expand the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams from 2031. There will be 32 countries competing at the 2027 tournament in Brazil.
He also expressed his desire to increase the number of women’s teams at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles to 16. There were just 12 teams at the 2024 Paris Games.
England will lead the UK’s bid for 2035, with the FA’s CEO Mark Bullingham saying in March that the success of the Women’s Euros in 2022 had proven the UK’s credentials.
Bullingham said on Thursday: “We are honoured to be the sole bidder for the Fifa 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.”
The Government is backing the bid, with Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, saying in March: “Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity. Whether we watch on TV, play at the ...
