U.S. Soccer and the Mexican Football Federation have withdrawn a joint bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, the USSF announced on Monday. And instead, the countries will turn their focus to hosting the tournament in 2031.
This means it's now down to a joint European bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, or Brazil, which would be the first South American country to ever host this tournament. The decision is expected to be made following a vote by the FIFA Congress when it meets in Bangkok, Thailand on May 17.
U.S. Soccer said in a statement that the revised bid will allow both the United States and Mexico to "build on the learnings and success of the 2026 World Cup" and create more opportunities for host cities, partners and media.
"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 in a statement. "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 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was the first time the tournament was hosted across multiple countries. The 2026 men's World Cup — which will be the biggest World Cup in history with a record 48 teams competing — will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
This also gives the U.S. and Mexico a longer runway to promote the tournament, knowing the men's tournament would take place about one year beforehand.
"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 Federacion Mexicana de Futbol, said. "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."
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.