-
Jeff Kassouf
NEW YORK — U.S. Soccer has officially announced that its bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup will involve collaboration with Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica, as confirmed by federation presidents during a news conference held at the Solow Building in Manhattan.
This upcoming Women’s World Cup will be a landmark event, being the first to feature 48 teams following the unanimous approval from the FIFA Council to expand from 32 teams in May.
“We are extremely proud to be leading the bid for the 2031 Women’s World Cup in partnership with our Concacaf colleagues in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica,” stated U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone. “This presents an extraordinary opportunity to host the largest and most influential Women’s World Cup ever, aimed at inspiring a new generation of fans and advancing women’s soccer across our region and globally. We’re enthusiastic about making lasting advancements for women’s soccer and building a legacy that surpasses 2031 while establishing new global benchmarks for the sport.”
The U.S.-led joint bid for 2031 faces no competition and is anticipated to receive ratification from FIFA at the Congress in Vancouver on April 30 next year. U.S. Soccer previously indicated that it was waiting for FIFA to determine the tournament’s structure before revealing its collaboration details with other Concacaf nations.
This will mark the third time the U.S. has hosted the Women’s World Cup (previously in 1999 and 2003), making it the only nation to do so more than once. China has also hosted the tournament twice, first in 1991 and again in 2007. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico are set to co-host the 2026 Men’s World Cup, which will also feature 48 teams for the first time. Eleven out of the sixteen host cities for that tournament will be in the United States, with the final scheduled for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Earlier this year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced a goal of generating $1 billion in revenue from the Women’s World Cup following the 2023 edition, which was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand and broke even with revenues of $570 million.
U.S. Soccer estimates that the 2031 tournament will attract approximately 4.5 million fans across the four participating nations.
Despite FIFA’s preferences for placing major events in the U.S. due to its significant commercial potential, this approach has encountered criticism, particularly regarding high ticket prices for the 2026 Men’s World Cup, where tickets for the final could reach $6,730.
Jamaica’s role in the bid will be historic, as it will be the first Caribbean nation to host a senior World Cup match. The Jamaican women’s national team is currently ranked 40th in the world and reached the round of 16 in the 2023 World Cup.
Mexico, ranked 29th, did not qualify for the 2023 tournament, while Costa Rica holds the 43rd position in the world rankings.
“This will significantly impact the psyche of every Jamaican,” stated Michael Ricketts, president of the Jamaica Football Federation. “Hosting World Cup matches is an extraordinary achievement for a small country like ours, and we hope to create an unforgettable experience for our players and fans. This is monumental for Jamaica and for everyone who takes pride in being Jamaican.”
The U.S. and Mexico initially showed interest in hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup but opted to withdraw from that bid to concentrate on 2031. Brazil will host the 2027 tournament, marking the first time the event is held in South America.
The UK is expected to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup, as England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland submitted the only “valid bid,” according to Infantino.
Mexico previously announced its intention to co-host the 2031 World Cup in May, although U.S. Soccer and FIFA did not confirm this information at that time.