The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, instead opting to focus on hosting the tournament in 2031. This leaves a joint European bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands or Brazil as the sole contenders for the 2027 edition.
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) announced on Monday that it and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. Instead, the two countries will turn their attention to hosting the tournament in 2031.
This decision means that the bidding race for the 2027 Women's World Cup is now down to two contenders: a joint European bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, and Brazil. The decision is expected to be made by the FIFA Congress when it meets in Bangkok, Thailand on May 17.
In a statement, US Soccer said that the revised bid will allow both the United States and Mexico to "build on the learnings and success of the 2026 World Cup" and create more opportunities for host cities, partners, and media.
"Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking – and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe," said U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone in a statement. "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."
Withdrawing the bid for 2027 also gives the U.S. and Mexico more time to promote the tournament, knowing that the men's tournament would take place about one year beforehand.
"We are fully committed to organizing a memorable and historic Women's World Cup that the players and fans will benefit from," said Ivar Sisniega, President of the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol. "After careful analysis, we feel that moving our bid back to 2031 will allow us to promote and build up to the most successful Women's World Cup ever."
The strength of the professional women's leagues in the U.S. and Mexico, coupled with their experience from organizing the 2026 World Cup, means that they will be able to provide the best infrastructure and enthusiastic fan base for the tournament.
"The strength and universality of our professional women's leagues, coupled with our experience from organizing the 2026 World Cup, means that we will be able to provide the best infrastructure as well as an enthusiastic fan base that will make all the participating teams feel at home and to put together a World Cup that will contribute to the continued growth of women's football," Sisniega said.
