The race to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup has taken a decisive turn, with the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica submitting a joint bid that is all but certain to secure the tournament. On November 28, 2025, FIFA released the official bid books for both the 2031 and 2035 women’s tournaments, confirming that the North American and Caribbean proposal is the sole contender for 2031. With formal confirmation expected at FIFA’s congress on April 30, 2026, anticipation is already building across the region as organizers unveil ambitious plans for what could become the most lucrative and widely attended Women’s World Cup in history.
At the heart of the bid are 35 cities or metro areas and a staggering 50 stadiums, reflecting a commitment to diversity and scale never before seen in the women’s game. Fourteen U.S. stadiums form the core of the 20 proposed primary venues, with a further 30 stadiums included in the broader framework, ensuring flexibility as FIFA and the bid committee finalize the tournament’s infrastructure. This approach, as the bid book emphasizes, is designed to "secure the best possible hosting conditions and ensure the tournament represents the full diversity of our region on a global scale."
Among the standout U.S. venues are some of the country’s most iconic sporting cathedrals. The representative sample of 14 American sites includes AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; NRG Stadium in Houston; SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California; Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri; and Lumen Field in Seattle. These stadiums are already set to play host to the men’s World Cup in 2026, underscoring the organizers’ vision of leveraging world-class infrastructure for both the men’s and women’s games.
Seven additional U.S. cities—Charlotte, Denver, Minneapolis, Nashville, Orlando, San Diego, and Washington, D.C.—round out the proposed primary venues. Notably, Washington, D.C., which was omitted from the 2026 men’s World Cup due to stadium concerns and previous ownership issues with the Commanders, is back in the spotlight. The bid book includes the still-to-be-built Washington Commanders stadium on the old RFK Stadium site, a $3.7 billion project spearheaded by new owner Josh Harris. "Washington will use this platform to create safe places to play, elevate women in leadership, and ensure every girl can see herself in the game," the bid book states, highlighting the city’s renewed commitment to women’s soccer and community impact.
Orlando and Washington, both of which hosted matches during the 1994 men’s World Cup, are poised for a return to the global stage. The bid’s organizers envision fan festivals and watch parties across host cities, aiming to create a festival atmosphere that extends beyond the stadiums and into the heart of each community.
Mexico, a key partner in both the 2026 and 2031 tournaments, brings four stadiums to the table: Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, and Territorio Santos Modelo in Torreón. Costa Rica and Jamaica each propose their national stadiums—Estadio Nacional in San José and National Stadium in Kingston—ensuring that Central America and the Caribbean are represented on the sport’s biggest stage. While these venues seat up to 37,000, it’s widely expected that the latter knockout rounds and the final will be played in the United States, given the larger capacities of American stadiums.
The bid’s broader framework includes additional sites in major U.S. markets such as Foxborough (Gillette Stadium), Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field), and Santa Clara (Levi’s Stadium), as well as alternate venues in Los Angeles (Memorial Coliseum, Rose Bowl, Dignity Health Sports Park), Houston (Shell Energy Stadium), Kansas City (CPKC Stadium), and Washington, D.C. (Audi Field). Other notable cities include Baltimore, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Frisco, Glendale, Harrison, Miami, Nashville, New York, Pasadena, St. Louis, San Francisco, Sandy, Tampa, and Indianapolis, where a new soccer stadium is planned. Chicago, however, remains absent from the bid after withdrawing from the 2026 process due to what city officials described as FIFA’s “burdensome financial demands.”
In Mexico, alternate possibilities include Pachuca’s Estadio Miguel Hidalgo, Querétaro’s Estadio Corregidora, and Universitario in Monterrey. Costa Rica’s Estadio Saprissa is listed as an alternate in San José. The bid’s flexibility allows FIFA and the organizing committee to tailor the final venue list closer to the tournament, with decisions expected after the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
The financial projections are nothing short of historic. Organizers estimate that the 48-nation tournament could attract 4.5 million fans and generate about $4 billion in revenue—a staggering leap from the $570 million reported for the 2023 edition in Australia and New Zealand, and well above the $1 billion projected for Brazil’s 2027 tournament. Premium seating is expected to comprise 10-20% of capacity at most venues, and proposed ticket prices range from $35 for the cheapest group stage tickets to $120-$600 for the final. Revenue from marketing and sponsorships alone is projected at $1.4 billion, reflecting the surging commercial appeal of women’s soccer worldwide.
With the expansion to 48 teams, the 2031 Women’s World Cup will mirror the scale of the men’s event, offering more nations than ever the chance to compete on the world’s biggest stage. The tournament is expected to run from mid-June through late July, with Atlanta—home to U.S. Soccer’s new headquarters—proposed as the site for the World Cup draw, and Dallas suggested as the host for the international broadcast center. These decisions, however, remain subject to FIFA’s final approval.
The bid book paints a vision of a tournament that not only breaks attendance and revenue records but also leaves a lasting legacy for women’s soccer in North America and beyond. Washington, D.C., with its renewed focus on women’s leadership and inclusivity, is emblematic of that mission. The Washington Spirit’s back-to-back NWSL final appearances and owner Michele Kang’s investments in the women’s game both domestically and abroad further underscore the region’s commitment.
As the world awaits FIFA’s formal confirmation, the joint bid’s scale, ambition, and inclusivity have already set the stage for a groundbreaking edition of the Women’s World Cup. With a diverse array of cities, state-of-the-art stadiums, and unprecedented financial backing, the 2031 tournament is shaping up to be a true celebration of women’s soccer, promising unforgettable moments for players and fans alike. All eyes now turn to FIFA’s congress next April, where history is set to be made—and the countdown to 2031 will truly begin.
