US, Mexico drop bid to host 2027 World Cup
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation and its Mexican counterpart dropped their joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup on Monday and said they will focus on trying to host the 2031 tournament.
The decision left a proposal from Brazil and a joint Germany-Netherlands-Belgium plan competing to be picked for 2027 by the FIFA congress that meets May 17 in Bangkok.
The USSF said the 2031 bid will call for FIFA to invest equally in the men’s and women’s World Cups.
FIFA said last year it planned to spend $896 million in combined prize money to teams and payments to clubs for releasing players for the 2026 men’s World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. FIFA devoted $110 million in prize money for last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from a $152 million fund that included payments to clubs.
“Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking — and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximize its impact across the globe,” USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. “I’m proud of our commitment to provide equitable experiences for the players, fans and all our stakeholders. Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women’s game both here at home as well as across the globe.”