The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced on April 29 that they have withdrawn their bid to jointly host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, instead seeking to host the tournament in 2031.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) was scheduled to vote on the host city for the 2027 tournament at its general assembly in Bangkok, Thailand on the 17th of next month, but the surprise decision came just a few weeks before the vote.

The only bidders left are Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, which are seeking to co-host the event, and Brazil, which wants to host the event alone.

The United States has the 2024 Copa America, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with Mexico and Canada, in 2026. There will also be the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and a successful bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup would have added another major sporting event to an already crowded North American calendar.

The USSF said waiting until 2031 would give organizers more time to plan and also allow them to learn from lessons learned from the 2026 men’s World Cup. (AFP/Rob Woollard)