U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation have withdrawn their bid to jointly host the 2027 Women’s World Cup and will instead focus on securing the 2031 tournament, the federations announced on Monday.
The U.S.-Mexico joint bid was one of three finalists for the 2027 World Cup alongside Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, with the FIFA Congress set to vote on the 2027 host on May 17 in Bangkok, Thailand.
“The revised bid will allow U.S. Soccer to build on the learnings and success of the 2026 (men’s) World Cup, better support our host cities, expand our partnerships and media deals, and further engage with our fans so we can host a record-breaking tournament in 2031,” U.S. Soccer said in a statement.
“Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking – and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said. “I’m proud of our commitment to provide equitable experiences for the players, fans and all our stakeholders. Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe.”
The hosts of the 2031 Women’s World Cup are expected to be decided next year, although formal bidding has yet to begin.
Mexico and the U.S. are already co-hosting the 2026 men’s World Cup alongside Canada. That tournament will be the largest ever with 48 teams. Los Angeles will then host the 2028 Summer Olympics, meaning the 2027 Women’s World Cup would have had to compete for sponsorship dollars and other resources in between.
“We are fully committed to organizing a memorable and historic Women’s World Cup that the players and fans will benefit from,” Ivar Sisniega, president of the Mexican Football Federation, said in a statement. “After careful analysis we feel that moving our bid back to 2031 will allow us to promote and build up to the most successful Women’s World Cup ever.
“The strength and universality of our professional women’s leagues, coupled with our experience from organizing the 2026 World Cup, means that we will be able to provide the best infrastructure as well as an enthusiastic fan base that will make all the participating teams feel at home and to put together a World Cup that will contribute to the continued growth of women’s football.”
The U.S. previously hosted the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003. The Americans memorably won the 1999 event, defeating China in a penalty kick shootout in a final that was held at the Rose Bowl, while the 2003 edition – in which the Americans finished third – was moved to the U.S. on short notice because of the SARS outbreak in China, the original host for the tournament.
Brazil would be the first South American country to host a Women’s World Cup if successful in its bid. Germany, part of the European joint bid, previously hosted the tournament in 2011.