US, Mexico drop joint bid to host 2027 Women’s World Cup

CHICAGO, Illinois: This week, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Mexican Football Federation (MFF) announced that they are dropping their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, adding that they will instead focus on hosting the 2031 tournament.

The decision means that the FIFA congress, which will meet in Bangkok on May 17, will choose either a proposal from Brazil or a joint Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium bid.

The USSF said the 2031 bid will call for FIFA to invest equally in the men’s and women’s World Cups.

In 2023, FIFA said it would spend US$896 million in combined prize money to teams and payments to clubs for releasing players for the 2026 men’s World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.

It also pledged $110 million in prize money for last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which came from a $152 million fund that included payments to clubs.

In a statement, USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone said, "Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking, and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe."

"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," MFF President Ivar Sisnieg said in a statement.

"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," he added.