UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has backed England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland in their joint bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
FIFA is set to decide on the hosts of the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups in the second quarter of 2026. The UK’s respective Football Associations (FA) will submit a declaration of interest in the first quarter of this year before submitting their official bid in the fourth quarter.
Commenting on the UK’s joint bid, Starmer said: “Football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity. Whether we watch on TV, play at the weekends like I do, or simply enjoy soaking up the atmosphere in the pub, it brings communities together like little else.
“That pride was on full display when England hosted UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy.
“The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 on home turf would be another monumental moment in our sporting history, driving growth and leaving a lasting legacy. The FAs’ intention to bid has my government’s full support.”
As noted by Starmer, hosting a major tournament will attract investment and boost the economy, a priority of the current Labour government. While other bidders are unknown for the tournament, the UK can take confidence in that FIFA recommended the 2035 edition take place in Europe or Africa.
Mark Bullingham, CEO of the English FA, commented: “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.”
Strengthening the bid is England’s track record of hosting major events and tournaments, which will rightly be an argument used by advocates such as Bullingham. The UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, being the most recent example, broke several records for the women’s game and propelled the sport around the world.
Following the competition, it was revealed that 62% of football fans stated that EURO 2022 was the first time they had watched women’s football. Since then the sport has kept hold of that momentum and reached new heights.
However, in England’s neighbouring countries the effects weren’t felt as much. This is due to Scotland and Wales not participating in the tournament though a successful bid would ensure they qualify.
Wales will perhaps see the biggest impact with the nation only just qualifying for its first major tournament. To demonstrate the potential growth, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia led to a remarkable 92% surge in attendance for the A-League Women.
“Having just qualified for our first major Senior Women’s tournament, interest and participation in women’s football is growing rapidly across Wales”, Noel Mooney, CEO of the Welsh FA, said.
“We hope to welcome the world to Wales in 2035 to continue to build the women’s and girls’ game by playing a major role in hosting the greatest FIFA World Cup Finals ever!”
UK Grassroots also stand to gain a lot from hosting the tournament. Sally Munday, CEO of UK Sport, stated: “We know that live sport excites, inspires and changes lives and the FIFA Women’s World Cup represents the pinnacle for women’s football.
“It’s the biggest global sporting event that the UK has never hosted, and we’ve made no secret of our ambition to bring the FIFA Women’s World Cup to the UK. We are excited to explore how we can make this ambition a reality alongside our partners.”
