FIFA Clears Joint Bids for 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups; 39 Stadiums Proposed

Key points

1. The 2031 Women's World Cup joint bid from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica received an evaluation score of 4.4 out of 5.
2. The 2031 proposal includes 20 stadiums across 20 host cities: 14 venues in the United States, four in Mexico, and one each in Costa Rica and Jamaica.
3. The 2035 joint bid from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales received an evaluation score of 4.3 out of 5.
4. The 2035 proposal features 19 stadiums across 15 host cities, including 14 in England, two in Wales, two in Northern Ireland and one in Scotland.
5. Both bids met FIFA's minimum hosting requirements and will be submitted to an Extraordinary FIFA Congress on November 23, 2026, for a decision by member associations.
6. The 2031 tournament will be the first Women's World Cup to feature 48 teams; the 2035 edition is also planned for 48 teams in 12 groups of four.

FIFA has cleared the joint bids for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups after both proposals met the governing body's minimum hosting requirements. The 2031 bid has been submitted by the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica, while England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are jointly bidding for the 2035 edition. FIFA's evaluation reports were published on November 11, 2026, and both bids will be put before an Extraordinary FIFA Congress on November 23.

The two proposals cover 39 stadiums across 35 host cities. The 2031 bid received an overall evaluation score of 4.4 out of five, marginally ahead of the 2035 proposal, which scored 4.3. The reports assess the bids across areas including event vision, infrastructure, services, commercial considerations, sustainability and human rights. The scores indicate that both bids have cleared the minimum threshold; the final host decision rests with FIFA's member associations.

Four-nation proposal for the 2031 tournament

The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica have proposed 20 stadiums across 20 host cities for the 2031 Women's World Cup. The distribution includes 14 venues in the United States, four in Mexico, and one each in Costa Rica and Jamaica. The proposal builds on the countries' experience of staging major football events, with the United States having recently co-hosted the men's World Cup with Mexico and Canada and staged the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.

Four stadiums have been identified as possible venues for the final: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, AT&T Stadium near Dallas, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. These are proposed options in the bid rather than a final confirmation of the venue. The bid evaluation also noted infrastructure requirements that would need attention, including artificial playing surfaces at some proposed stadiums that would have to be converted to natural grass for the tournament.

The 2031 competition is expected to be the first Women's World Cup to feature 48 teams, expanding from the 32-team format. The proposed structure comprises 12 groups of four, followed by a knockout phase beginning with the round of 32. The expanded field is expected to increase the tournament's scale and the number of matches hosted across the four countries.

UK-wide bid for the 2035 edition

The 2035 bid brings together the four football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales under a joint proposal built around the theme “All Together”. It includes 19 stadiums across 15 host cities. The distribution outlined in the evaluation coverage is 14 venues in England, two in Wales, two in Northern Ireland and one in Scotland.

Wembley Stadium in London is proposed as the venue for the 2035 final. The bid points to the four associations' experience of staging major international football events, including UEFA Women's Euro 2022 and the upcoming UEFA Euro 2028. The UK-wide proposal also presents the tournament as an opportunity to build on the growth of women's football and increase participation and visibility across the host nations.

As with the 2031 proposal, the 2035 stadium list remains a bid proposal at this stage. FIFA's evaluation process considers whether the proposed venues and supporting infrastructure meet the requirements to deliver the event. The 2035 tournament is also planned to use the 48-team format, with 12 groups of four teams and a round-of-32 knockout stage.

FIFA Congress vote scheduled for November 23

FIFA said both bids met the minimum hosting requirements following its assessment, which included inspection visits to the bidding countries. The evaluation model considers more than stadium capacity. It also examines services, commercial planning, sustainability, human rights and the overall vision for the event. The reports are intended to provide member associations with a basis for deciding between the bids at the Extraordinary Congress.

The Congress is scheduled to convene by videoconference on November 23, 2026. FIFA's member associations will then decide the hosts of the 2031 and 2035 tournaments. Until that vote, the countries and venues named in the proposals should be treated as bid selections rather than confirmed tournament hosts or final match venues.

What the expanded format means

The move to 48 teams from 2031 marks another expansion in the Women's World Cup's scale. Both bids have been planned around 12 groups of four, with the knockout stage beginning at the round of 32. A larger tournament means more participating national teams and a broader programme of matches across the host cities.

The competing proposals also show two different hosting models: a four-country bid spanning North America and the Caribbean for 2031, and a coordinated four-association UK bid for 2035. Their evaluation scores are close, and both have passed the minimum requirements. The next decisive step is the November 23 Congress vote, after which the selected hosts can move from bid planning towards tournament delivery.