The United Kingdom is on course to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup after being confirmed as the only valid bidder for the tournament, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has announced.
England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland submitted a joint expression of interest in March to stage the tournament across the home nations. Under FIFA’s rotation policy, the 2035 edition must be hosted in either Europe or Africa.
While Spain’s federation president, Rafael Louzan, recently suggested that Spain, Portugal, and Morocco were considering a joint bid, the deadline for expressions of interest passed on Monday, with no formal submission from that group. As a result, the UK bid remains the only one in contention.
Speaking at a UEFA congress in Belgrade, Infantino confirmed the bid status for both the 2031 and 2035 tournaments.
“Today I can confirm as part of the bidding process that we received one bid for 2031 and one valid bid for 2035,” he said.
“The 2031 bid is the United States of America and potentially some other Concacaf members, and the 2035 bid is from Europe and the home nations.
“So the path is there for the Women’s World Cup in 2031 and 2035 to take place in some great nations and further boost the women’s football movement.”
FA and Home Nations React
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham expressed excitement over the UK being the sole bidder.
“We are honoured to be the sole bidder for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035. The hard work starts now to put together the best possible bid by the end of the year.”
Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell highlighted the significance of hosting such a global event.
“We look forward to working together to finalise our proposal and lay the foundations for a tournament that will excite football fans around the world and inspire girls and women across Scotland.”
Patrick Nelson, chief executive of the Irish FA, acknowledged the challenges ahead but was optimistic about showcasing Northern Ireland.
“There’s still a lot of hard work to be done along with our partners in bringing it all together. However, this will be a brilliant opportunity to show the world what Northern Ireland and Belfast have to offer.”
Meanwhile, Noel Mooney, chief executive of the Welsh FA, emphasized the growing momentum behind women’s football in Wales.
“With our first-ever participation in a Women’s Euros coming up this summer and the hosting of major women’s finals coming to Cymru [Wales], we are on an incredible journey. We must make the most of this to inspire the next generation of players, volunteers, and supporters.”
Impact on Women’s Football
England women’s manager Sarina Wiegman believes hosting the World Cup would be a transformative moment for the sport in the UK.
“We know from the experience of the Euros [in 2022] how big the game is already here and what the momentum did in the country.
“Another tournament on an even bigger stage would be incredible and give another boost to the game.”
Next Steps
Formal bids for the 2035 World Cup must be submitted this winter, with a final vote taking place at the FIFA congress in 2026 to confirm the host nation.
Infantino also revealed that the 2031 Women’s World Cup, set to be hosted by the United States and potentially other Concacaf nations, will expand to 48 teams—up from 32 in 2027.
Should the UK’s bid be officially confirmed, the 2035 Women’s World Cup will be the first World Cup held in the home nations since the 1966 Men’s tournament in England.
With excitement building and preparations underway, the UK looks set to bring the world’s biggest women’s football tournament to its shores, further cementing its role in the sport’s global development.
