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The Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are set to submit a bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup, while FIFA has launched a new Women’s Champions Cup competition and delayed its inaugural Women’s Club World Cup.
The FIFA Council yesterday (Wednesday) recommended that the 2035 Women’s World Cup be hosted in either Europe or Africa. The FAs of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will submit a declaration of interest to FIFA in the first quarter of 2025.
Bids for the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups will be submitted in the fourth quarter of 2025, with a decision on both tournaments anticipated to take place during the second quarter of 2026.
The UK has never hosted the Women’s World Cup, although England did host – and win – the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2022. England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland will host the men’s Euros in 2028.
The most recent Women’s World Cup took place in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. The next edition of the tournament will be held in Brazil in 2027.
The UK bid for the 2035 tournament has been endorsed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The Women’s World Cup was one of the competitions earmarked by UK Sport when it released its target list for major events in March last year.
Mark Bullingham, chief executive of the English FA, said: “Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035 would be an honour. We strongly believe that we could organise a fantastic tournament, building on the success of the UEFA Women’s Euro in 2022 and the subsequent rapid growth of the women’s game in England.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to welcome the world, and hosting participating nations and fans in sold-out stadiums. There is outstanding support for the women’s game in this country and we want to maximise this, not only for women’s and girls’ football here but also for the benefit of the global game.”
Meanwhile, FIFA has announced plans for a new Women’s Champions Cup, which will bring together the six continental club champions from the full season preceding the tournament.
Debuting in 2026, it will feature six matches and take place in every non-Women’s Club World Cup year. The preliminary stage of the 2026 competition will feature two knockout rounds.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) champions will host the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) champions in round one, with the winners visiting the Confederation of African Football (CAF) champions in round two. The round two winners will then progress to a Final Four at a neutral venue that will be determined by FIFA in due course.
The semi-finalists from round two will meet the UEFA champions, while the CONCACAF champions will face the CONMEBOL champions. The Final Four will run from January 28 to February 1 next year.
The inaugural edition of the Women’s Club World Cup will now take place in January and February 2028. Six clubs representing the AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA will take part in the play-in stage, with the three winners advancing to the group stage and joining 13 other clubs.
The AFC, CAF, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL will each have two direct slots, with UEFA to have five. All matches will be played at a neutral venue, which will be determined by FIFA in due course.
The Women’s Club World Cup had originally been due to debut in 2026 but it has now been pushed back two years. It comes as FIFA prepares to debut its new men’s Club World Cup in the US this summer.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “Women’s football has reached new heights at national-team level, and now it’s time for global competitions that showcase the best clubs from around the world. These FIFA competitions will stimulate growth, inspire athletes, create new rivalries, engage more fans and crown heroes from all over the world.
“The FIFA Women’s Club World Cup will be a defining moment in the growth of women’s club football, giving the world’s top clubs the platform they deserve to compete against the best and put the women’s club game in the global spotlight.
“Following extensive consultation with key stakeholders, the inaugural edition will take place in 2028 and will feature a total of 19 clubs, allowing for a competitive and an inclusive format based on the sporting merit accumulated at global level through the new FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in the previous two years.”
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