Home Nations to bid for 2035 World Cup

The Football Associations (The FA) have confirmed their intention to submit a joint bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

This follows FIFA’s recommendation that the tournament be held in Europe or Africa.

Bids for both the 2031 and 2035 tournaments are set to be submitted in late 2025.

The United States is considered the frontrunner for 2031, having withdrawn from the vote for 2027, which Brazil won. South Africa, which also pulled out of the 2027 race, is expected to be a potential competitor for 2035.

The UK has previously hosted major women’s football events, most recently the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, where England’s victory over Germany at Wembley was watched by a crowd of 87,192 and a peak television audience of 17.4 million.

The tournament additionally contributed to increased participation and commercial growth in women’s football across the UK.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed the UK government’s support for the bid.

The men’s Euro 2028 is also set to be staged across England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, further demonstrating the region’s capability to host major international football events.

If successful, the 2035 Women’s World Cup would be the first senior FIFA World Cup hosted in the UK since England staged the men’s tournament in 1966.

England’s previous bids for the men’s World Cup in 2006 and 2018 were unsuccessful. The decision on the 2035 host will be made by FIFA’s 211 member nations.

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