Copyright nypost
The United States Soccer Federation is partnering with Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica in its bid to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup. The federation formally announced the plans on Monday at a news conference in Manhattan and noted it would be the “largest Women’s World Cup in history” if the uncontested bid was picked. The United States had been the only nation to express interest in hosting the 2031 Women’s World Cup by an April 30 deadline set by FIFA and a host will officially be confirmed next April by the FIFA Congress in Vancouver. “We already have tremendous excitement as more than 30 US cities have expressed interest in hosting matches U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone told reporters on Monday, according to The Athletic. “But what excites me most isn’t just putting on a world-class tournament. It’s the legacy we will create, because this Women’s World Cup will be equal in every sense of the word to a men’s World Cup, not just in the number of teams and matches, but equal in the quality of the facilities, with the same type of travel accommodations and support.” Leaders from U.S. soccer and its partner federations did not release details about how matches would be split up among the four nations and would mark the second time the United States had partnered with other countries to host the World Cup. The 2026 Men’s World Cup is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. The United States last hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2003 after it was moved from China due to a SARS outbreak and 1999’s Women’s World Cup is often held up as a turning point for women’s soccer. Parlow Cone was a member of the 1999 U.S. squad and hopes the 2031 tournament would provide women’s soccer another springboard. “In 2031, our legacy will be inspiring every country to embrace and invest in women’s soccer, not because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s the smart thing to do. It’s a smart investment. There is an extraordinary opportunity to grow the women’s game around the world,” she said. The 2031 tournament would be the first under the expanded format that will include 48 countries competing, increased from 32 teams, which will be the format for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil. An estimated 4.5 million fans are expected to attend the 2031 Women’s World Cup across all four nations, according to a press release. The United States and Mexico had originally expressed interest in bidding for the 2027 tournament, but pulled out to turn its attention to 2031.
