U.S. planning bid to host 2027 Women’s World Cup
Two time World Cup winner Mia Hamm joins ESPN at halftime of the USWNT’s first Victory Tour game to discuss the legacy of the 2019 champions. (1:59)
The United States is making plans to bid for the hosting rights to the 2027 Women’s World Cup, U.S. Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro indicated on Monday.
Cordeiro was speaking on a conference call with reporters in which he announced that Kate Markgraf has been named GM of the U.S. women’s national team while Earnie Stewart had been promoted from his GM position with the U.S. men to be the USSF sporting director, overseeing all of the technical aspects of the federation.
In outlining Markgraf’s responsibilities, Cordeiro said that she will take charge of what he is calling “Vision 2027.”
“Not surprisingly, that is linked to us bidding to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup,” Cordeiro said.
This is not the first time that Cordeiro has hinted that the U.S. will bid for the tournament’s hosting rights. During his speech at the USSF’s Annual General Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. last February, Cordeiro said, “We need to ensure excellence across all our women’s teams. So when we look ahead to 2027 we can imagine — dare I say, dream — of once again hosting the Women’s World Cup right here in the United States, including a win on home soil.”
There are some practical considerations that need to be addressed before the USSF can submit a bid. FIFA has yet to name a host for the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa have all submitted registrations to host the tournament. A joint bid from North and South Korea has also been submitted.
FIFA is expected to name a host in March of 2020. Once that takes place, focus can shift to find a host for the 2027 edition of the tournament.
The decision to bid on the hosting rights must also be approved by the USSF Board of Directors, but one federation source said that it was “very likely” that the USSF would submit a bid.
The U.S. has previously hosted two Women’s World Cups. The first was in 1999 when the U.S. prevailed in a penalty shootout over China at the Rose Bowl.
The U.S. was a last-minute replacement to host the 2003 Women’s World Cup after a SARs epidemic in China resulted in FIFA opting to relocate the tournament. That competition was won by Germany.