United States Proposes 14 Venues for the 2031 Women’s World Cup
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) has submitted an ambitious proposal with 14 locations in U.S. territory as possible venues for the 2031 Women’s World Cup matches. This proposal includes seven stadiums that will also be used for next year’s men’s tournament. FIFA unveiled the bid documents for the 2031 and 2035 women’s tournaments. For 2031, the proposal is a joint one between the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. For 2035, the United Kingdom is the only candidate.- FIFA Council approves 48 teams for the Women’s World Cup in 2031.
26 additional U.S. stadiums were mentioned as possible venues for a 48-nation tournament, which organizers estimate will attract 4.5 million fans and generate approximately $4 billion in revenue. This represents a significant increase compared to the $570 million generated in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand, and the projection of $1 billion for the 2027 tournament in Brazil.
Regarding ticket prices, $35 was proposed for the most economical seats in the initial phase, and between $120 and $600 for the final. FIFA has not revealed a price structure for next year’s men’s tournament, only indicating that initial prices ranged from $60 to $6,730, and could fluctuate with dynamic pricing. The bid document indicates that premium seats will represent between 10% and 20% of the capacity in most of the 2031 stadiums. In total, fifty venues were mentioned in the joint bid for 2031. Final decisions will likely be made in the coming years.
The United States stadiums included in the 2031 proposal are: Arlington, Texas (AT&T); Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz); East Rutherford, New Jersey (MetLife); Houston (NRG); Inglewood, California (Sofi); Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead) and Seattle (Lumen Field). The other seven are Charlotte, North Carolina (Bank of America); Denver (Empower Field); Minneapolis (U.S. Bank); Nashville, Tennessee (Geodis Park); Orlando, Florida (Camping World); San Diego (Snapdragon) and Washington, D.C. (proposal for the NFL stadium at the RFK Stadium site). Orlando and Washington were venues for the 1994 Men’s World Cup. The three Mexican stadiums proposed for next year’s World Cup are also proposed for the women’s tournament: Mexico City (Azteca), Guadalajara (Akron) and Monterrey (BBVA), along with a fourth in Torreón (Corona). National stadiums are proposed in Kingston, Jamaica, and San José, Costa Rica. Other U.S. stadiums mentioned as possibilities are: Foxborough, Massachusetts (Gillette); Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field) and Santa Clara, California (Levi’s), all of which are venues for next year’s men’s World Cup. Additional venues include: Baltimore (M&T Bank); Birmingham, Alabama (Protective); Carson, California (Dignity Health Sports Park); Cincinnati (TQL); Cleveland (Huntington Bank Field); Columbus, Ohio (Lower.com Field); Frisco, Texas (Toyota); Glendale, Arizona (State Farm); Harrison, New Jersey (Sports Illustrated); Los Angeles (Memorial Coliseum); Miami (Chase); Nashville (Nissan); New York (Etihad Park); Orlando (Inter & Co); Pasadena, California (Rose Bowl); St. Louis (Energizer Park); San Francisco (Oracle Park); Sandy, Utah (America First Field) and Tampa, Florida (Raymond James). Possible second venues were included in cities, all with lower capacity, for Houston (Shell Energy), Kansas City (CPKC), and Washington, D.C. (Audi Field). Indianapolis was included for a proposed stadium. Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium was the only 2026 World Cup venue that wasn’t included. Chicago was not included after withdrawing its bid to host in 2026 due to what it considered FIFA’s onerous financial demands. Additional possibilities in Mexico are Pachuca (Miguel Hidalgo) and Querétaro (Corregidora) along with Universitario as an alternative option in Monterrey. Saprissa was included as an alternative venue in San José, Costa Rica. The organizers are planning fan festivals and parties to watch the matches. Marketing and sponsorship revenue of $1.4 billion is projected.“By proposing more than the 20 required venues, the joint candidates demonstrate their commitment to ensuring the best possible conditions for the organization and guaranteeing that the tournament represents the full diversity of our region on a global scale,” it is stated in the candidacy document.
Candidacy Document
