FIFA has officially started the bidding process for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, with the goal of selecting a host at next year’s Congress.
The initial deadline for member organizations to submit expressions of interest in hosting the 32-team quadrennial event has been set for April 21, with the filing of a bidding agreement expected by May 18.
A bid workshop and observer program have been scheduled for this year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which is slated for July 20 to August 20, with the final bid deadline of December 8.
Furthermore, FIFA intends to conduct on-site inspections in February 2024, followed by the publishing of the FIFA Bid Evaluation Report in May of the following year.
A host is scheduled to be decided from a maximum of three shortlisted by the FIFA Council at the 2024 Congress on May 17, with results and votes to be made public.
Bids are expected to include at least 10 stadiums of which a minimum of eight should already be in existence or under construction.
Stadiums are required to seat at least 20,000 fans, with 40,000 for the semi-finals and 65,000 for the opening match and final.
Brazil has declared its interest in hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup, having previously held the men’s tournament in 1950 and 2014 and the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Belgium, 2011 hosts Germany and The Netherlands are also interested in a joint bid, and 2010 men’s World Cup hosts South Africa are expected to be a candidate.
Australia and New Zealand beat Colombia by 22 votes to 13 in a FIFA Council vote in 2020 to secure hosting rights for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
FIFA said the 2027 Women’s World Cup bid process represented “the most robust and comprehensive” in the competition’s history, with a Bid Evaluation Task Force’s composition to be approved by the Council, an independent audit company to be appointed to monitor FIFA’s compliance with the procedures and each bid to be required to appoint a compliance and ethics officer.
Secretary general Fatma Samoura of Senegal commented: “The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will build on the legacy of the record-breaking edition that Australia and New Zealand are due to organise in a few months.
“In line with FIFA’s commitment to women’s football, this bidding process sets new standards and puts us on track to host an outstanding event in 2027, on and off the pitch.”
This is set to be the first time the member associations at the Congress have decided the host for the Women’s World Cup, a procedure used for the men’s event since 2018 for the 2026 edition in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
A host for the 2030 men’s World Cup is also due to be determined at next year’s FIFA Congress.
