Women’s World Cup 2031 and 2035: FIFA Clears USA-Mexico-Costa Rica-Jamaica and UK Bids for Final Vote

The Women’s World Cup now knows where it is heading for the next decade. FIFA has cleared the joint bids to host the 2031 and 2035 tournaments, and both are expected to be confirmed at a special FIFA Congress on 23 November 2026.

The 2031 Women’s World Cup is set to be played in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica. Four years later, the 2035 tournament is set to come to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Both bids passed FIFA’s inspection process, and with no rival bid in either race, the final vote is expected to be a formality.

The 2031 tournament will also be the biggest Women’s World Cup ever played. For the first time, 48 teams will take part, up from 32. It will be the first Women’s World Cup staged across four countries, and the first to bring the tournament to Central America and the Caribbean.

What FIFA announced

FIFA published its bid evaluation reports on 11 November 2026. The reports followed a full assessment of each bid, including inspection visits to the bidding countries.

Both bids were found to meet FIFA’s minimum hosting requirements. That means they can now go forward to the Extraordinary FIFA Congress, which will meet by video conference on 23 November 2026 so that FIFA’s member associations can decide on the hosts of the two tournaments.

FIFA scored the 2031 bid at 4.4 out of 5, and the 2035 bid at 4.3 out of 5. The scores reflect the quality of the stadiums, infrastructure, transport, accommodation and commercial plans in each bid.

The 2031 bid proposes 20 stadiums in 20 host cities. The 2035 bid proposes 19 stadiums in 15 host cities. Both bids rely heavily on stadiums that already exist, rather than building new ones.

The 2031 Women’s World Cup: USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica

The 2031 bid is a joint submission from the football federations of the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica. It is the only bid for the 2031 tournament.

FIFA’s evaluation report praised the bid’s “strong portfolio of existing stadiums, extensive infrastructure and strong commercial potential”. The United States and Mexico bring some of the largest and most modern stadiums in world football. Costa Rica and Jamaica add two new host countries, taking the Women’s World Cup to Central America and the Caribbean for the first time.

The story of this bid goes back to April 2024, when the United States and Mexico withdrew their joint bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup and said they would bid for 2031 instead. Costa Rica and Jamaica joined the bid in October 2025, turning it into a four-country project. In April 2025, FIFA declared it the only valid bid for 2031.

One city already confirmed in the bid’s plans is Seattle, where Lumen Field is listed as a host venue from the group stage through to the semi-finals. The full list of 20 host cities spans all four countries, and the final list of stadiums will be confirmed once the hosts are formally appointed.

For the United States, 2031 would be a return to familiar ground. The country hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003, and the famous 1999 final at the Rose Bowl in California drew a crowd of more than 90,000 people. The US women’s team is also the most successful in the tournament’s history, with four titles. Mexico has never hosted a Women’s World Cup, but it has hosted the men’s tournament twice, in 1970 and 1986.

The 2035 Women’s World Cup: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The 2035 bid is a joint submission from the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Like the 2031 bid, it is the only bid in its race, and FIFA declared it the only valid bid for 2035 in April 2025.

FIFA’s report praised the bid’s “high-quality stadiums, considerable hosting experience and a relatively compact tournament footprint”. The four nations proposed 19 stadiums in 15 host cities, and most of the travel between venues would be short, which is good for teams and fans.

The 2035 tournament would be the first Women’s World Cup ever held in the United Kingdom. England has recent experience of hosting a major women’s tournament: it hosted the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2022, and the England team, the Lionesses, won the trophy in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium in London. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have strong football traditions of their own, and the bid would spread matches across all four nations.

A bigger tournament: 48 teams for the first time

The biggest change in 2031 is the size of the tournament. The Women’s World Cup will grow from 32 teams to 48 teams.

The format will have 12 groups of four teams. After the group stage, the tournament moves to a knockout round that starts with the last 32 teams. In total, the tournament will feature 104 matches, up from 64 matches at the 32-team tournament.

The expansion follows the same path as the men’s World Cup, which grows to 48 teams at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA approved the expansion of the women’s tournament earlier, and Brazil 2027 will be the last 32-team edition.

A bigger tournament means more countries get a chance to play on the biggest stage. At the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, eight teams played in the tournament for the first time. With 16 extra places in 2031, more nations from Africa, Asia and the smaller footballing regions will have a realistic chance to qualify.

It also means a longer tournament, more matches, more host cities and more fans. That is part of the reason both bids lean on existing stadiums: with 104 matches to stage, hosts need a large number of ready-made venues.

How the Women’s World Cup grew

The Women’s World Cup has grown steadily since the first tournament in China in 1991. Only 12 teams took part in that first edition, and the United States beat Norway 2-1 in the final.

The tournament grew to 16 teams in 1999, when the United States hosted it. It grew again to 24 teams in Canada in 2015. In 2023, Australia and New Zealand hosted the first 32-team edition, and Spain won their first title by beating England 1-0 in the final in Sydney.

The 2023 tournament was the biggest women’s sporting event ever held at the time, with a record attendance of almost two million people across the tournament’s matches. It showed how far women’s football had come in just over 30 years, from a 12-team event that many people ignored to a global tournament watched around the world.

The next edition will be held in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027. It will be the first Women’s World Cup held in South America, with the final at the famous Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil 2027 will still have 32 teams, so the 48-team era begins in 2031.

Only five countries have ever won the Women’s World Cup: the United States with four titles, Germany with two, and Japan, Norway and Spain with one each. With 48 teams in 2031, the list of contenders could grow, and new winners could emerge.

What happens next

The next step is the Extraordinary FIFA Congress on 23 November 2026. FIFA’s member associations will vote on the two bids. Because each bid is the only one in its race, both are expected to be approved.

After that, the hard work begins. The host countries will confirm the final list of stadiums and host cities, and start planning the details: training grounds, team hotels, fan zones, transport and security. Qualifying for the 2031 tournament will begin years in advance, with teams from every continent competing for the 48 places.

For the 2035 hosts, there is even more time. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will have almost nine years to prepare after the vote, and the tournament will arrive as women’s football in Britain continues to grow, with record crowds in the domestic leagues.

Why it matters

The decision matters because it locks in the future of the world’s biggest women’s sporting event for the next decade. Two tournaments, eight host countries, and a bigger field of teams.

For the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica, 2031 will be a chance to show how far women’s football has come in the CONCACAF region. For England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2035 will be a home tournament on a scale British women’s football has never seen before.

For the players and fans, the 48-team format is the biggest change of all. More teams means more stories, more first-timers, and more countries dreaming of a World Cup. The Women’s World Cup started with 12 teams in 1991. In 2031, it will have four times as many.

Frequently asked questions

Who will host the 2031 Women’s World Cup?

The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica have bid jointly to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup. FIFA has cleared the bid, and it is expected to be confirmed at the Extraordinary FIFA Congress on 23 November 2026.

Who will host the 2035 Women’s World Cup?

England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have bid jointly to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. FIFA has cleared the bid, and it is expected to be confirmed at the same Congress on 23 November 2026.

How many teams will play at the 2031 Women’s World Cup?

For the first time, 48 teams will take part. They will be split into 12 groups of four, followed by a knockout round starting with the last 32 teams. The tournament will have 104 matches in total.

When is the next Women’s World Cup?

The next Women’s World Cup is in Brazil, from 24 June to 25 July 2027. It will have 32 teams, with the final at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

How many teams played at the last Women’s World Cup?

The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand had 32 teams. Spain won the title, beating England 1-0 in the final in Sydney.

Sources

• Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/fifa-clears-joint-bids-2031-2035-womens-world-cups-2026-11-11/
• Keir Radnedge: http://keirradnedge.com/2026/11/11/fifa-approves-joint-bids-for-the-2031-and-2035-womens-world-cups/
• USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/state/washington/seattle/2026/11/11/seattle-could-host-fifas-2031-womens-world-cup-into-semifinals/92727842007/
• Wikipedia (2031 and 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup bids): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2031_and_2035_FIFA_Women%27s_World_Cup_bids
• Wikipedia (FIFA Women’s World Cup): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_Women%27s_World_Cup

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.