The UK has officially submitted its bid for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035.
It would be the largest single-sport event ever staged in the UK and the first FIFA World Cup hosted in the country since 1966.
The FA, Irish FA, Scottish FA and FA of Wales have included 22 proposed stadiums, with 16 in England, 3 in Wales, 2 in Scotland and 1 in Northern Ireland, across 16 host cities.
The regional stadia on the list are:
Elland Road, Leeds
Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
Etihad Stadium, Manchester
St James’ Park, Newcastle
Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Old Trafford, Manchester
Easter Road, Edinburgh
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Stok Racecourse, Wrexham
Organisers say they would expect 4.5m ticket sales and project a global television audience of 3.5bn.
READ MORE – Lionesses clock 12.2m as BBC records most watched TV moment of 2025 with Euros final win
The UK bid is built on the vision of ‘All Together’ which it said was “a rallying cry for women’s football and sport more broadly to empower worldwide.”
“Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup would be a huge privilege for our four home nations. If we are successful, the 2035 tournament will be the biggest single-sport event held on UK soil,” read a joint statement from the CEOs of The FA, Irish FA, Scottish FA and FA of Wales:
“We are proud of the growth that we’ve driven in recent years across the women’s and girls’ game, but there is still so much more growth to come, and this event will play a key role in helping us deliver that. Working together with FIFA, a Women’s World Cup in the UK has the power to turbo charge the women’s and girls’ game both in the UK and globally. Our bid also demonstrates our commitment to leaving a lasting legacy, in the run up to 2035, and the years afterwards.
“Together, we want to welcome the world to the UK to celebrate and enjoy an unforgettable tournament.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer added:
“Our bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup shows the UK’s passion for football.
“The Lionesses’ success has inspired girls across our country, and we’ll build on that momentum by welcoming millions of football fans from around the world to a tournament that will benefit communities and businesses in host cities up and down the UK.
“With significant investment in school sport and grassroots facilities through our Plan for Change, we’re creating opportunities for girls to play for their national team.”
The tournament would involve 104 matches contested by 48 teams over 39 days, with 48 team base camp training sites, 82 venue-specific training sites and 32 FIFA Fan Festival Sites proposed.
READ MORE – Manchester United stadium plans hit land value roadblock
The bid submission includes Old Trafford in its current form, because the proposed new stadium “does not currently have sufficient information for FIFA assessment” so it can’t be evaluated as part of the bid process.
In Wrexham, the Racecourse is also undergoing redevelopment to reach an increased capacity of 18,000 fans, which is expected to increase before 2035 and would therefore meet technical requirements.
“Bringing the FIFA Women’s World Cup here would be a massive moment for the Liverpool City Region,” said Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram.
“But while the football is one thing, for me it’s about inspiring young people, backing equality in sport, and showing the world what our region is all about: talent, opportunity, and a proper warm welcome.
“We’ve proven time and again that we know how to put on major global events. We’ve got the people, the talent and of course the know-how to make this a truly unforgettable tournament.”
