NEW YORK — The United States Soccer Federation has proposed 14 potential American venues as part of a total of 20 sites for the 2031 Women’s World Cup, including seven stadiums that will host matches in next year’s men’s tournament.
On Friday, FIFA unveiled the bid books for both the 2031 and 2035 women’s tournaments. Each tournament has only one bidder: a joint proposal from the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica for 2031, and a UK bid for 2035. FIFA intends to formally announce the bids during its congress on April 30.
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The proposal includes 26 additional U.S. stadiums deemed appropriate for a tournament expected to attract 4.5 million fans and generate around $4 billion in revenue, a significant increase from the $570 million projected for the 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand, and the estimated $1 billion for Brazil in 2027.
Ticket prices are expected to range from $35 for the most affordable seats in the opening rounds to between $120 and $600 for the final, according to a provided ticketing grid. In contrast, FIFA has withheld a detailed pricing grid for next year’s men’s tournament, indicating initial prices fall between $60 and $6,730, subject to dynamic pricing. The bid book mentions that premium seating could represent 10%-20% of capacity at most stadiums slated for 2031.
A total of 50 venues were identified in the joint bid for 2031, with final selections likely not being made for several years.
The bid book also indicates that “other suitable cities” beyond the initially specified 14 will continue to be evaluated for stadium selection as part of the broader bid strategy.
“By proposing more than the required 20 venues, the joint bidders demonstrate their commitment to securing the best possible hosting conditions and to showcasing the diverse culture of our region on a global stage,” the bid document stated.
The seven U.S. venues from the 2026 tournament included in the 2031 proposal are: Arlington, Texas (AT&T Stadium), Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey (MetLife Stadium), Houston (NRG Stadium), Inglewood, California (Sofi Stadium), Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium), and Seattle (Lumen Field).
The additional proposed U.S. stadiums are: Charlotte, North Carolina (Bank of America Stadium), Denver (Empower Field), Minneapolis (U.S. Bank Stadium), Nashville, Tennessee (Geodis Park), Orlando, Florida (Camping World Stadium), San Diego, California (Snapdragon Stadium), and Washington, D.C. (a proposed NFL venue on the RFK Stadium site).
Orlando and Washington, which hosted matches during the 1994 men’s World Cup, are included in this proposal.
Mexico is also proposing three of its venues used for next year’s World Cup: Mexico City (Estadio Azteca), Guadalajara (Estadio Akron), and Monterrey (Estadio BBVA), plus a fourth location in Torreón (Estadio Corona).
National stadiums have been proposed in Kingston, Jamaica, and San Jose, Costa Rica.
Additional U.S. venues mentioned as options include: Foxborough, Massachusetts (Gillette Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), and Santa Clara, California (Levi’s Stadium), all of which are also set to host the upcoming men’s World Cup.
Other candidates included Baltimore (M&T Bank Stadium), Birmingham, Alabama (Protective Stadium), Carson, California (Dignity Health Sports Park), Cincinnati (TQL Stadium), Cleveland (Huntington Bank Field), Columbus, Ohio (Lower.com Field), Frisco, Texas (Toyota Stadium), Glendale, Arizona (State Farm Stadium), Harrison, New Jersey (Sports Illustrated), Los Angeles (Memorial Coliseum), Miami (Chase), Nashville (Nissan Stadium), New York (Etihad Park), Orlando (Inter & Co), Pasadena, California (Rose Bowl), St. Louis (Energizer Park), San Francisco (Oracle Park), Sandy, Utah (America First Field), and Tampa, Florida (Raymond James Stadium).
Alternate sites with smaller capacities were proposed in Houston (Shell Energy Stadium), Kansas City (CPKC), and Washington, D.C. (Audi Field).
Indianapolis was also mentioned as a potential site for a new stadium.
The only World Cup venue from 2026 not included is Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. Chicago has been omitted following its decision to withdraw from the 2026 bidding process, citing FIFA’s onerous financial requirements.
In Mexico, additional sites include Pachuca (Estadio Miguel Hidalgo) and Querétaro (Estadio Corregidora), with Universitario as a back-up option in Monterrey and Saprissa as an alternative site in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Organizers are also planning fan festivals and viewing parties alongside the games, with an anticipated $1.4 billion in revenue from marketing and sponsorships.