Surprising joint bid to rival US as 2027 Women's World Cup host

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is now in the past, and the stoplight attention is now slowly setting on the 2027 tournament and a new bid to host.

Australia and New Zealand completed their hosting responsibilities for the WWC. However, the host in four years remains uncertain. FIFA is in the initial stages of the selection process. The final decision will not come until May of the following year.

Four interested parties emerged with a vested interest in hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup earlier in May. The United States issued a joint bid with Mexico. Also, South Africa and Brazil expressed individual interests in welcoming the world’s best women’s soccer players.

New joint bid to scupper Mexico and USA’s hosting chances for 2027 Women’s World Cup

Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany jointly launched a bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027. This collaborative bid, known as BNG2027, aims to deliver a competition that breaks new ground. The hope for the three nations is to set a historic standard for the women’s game.

The plan for the tournament involves matches taking place across the borders of all three countries. Barrons reports the close proximity between the two countries can limit the travel times teams experience.

In a joint statement, the Presidents of the Royal Belgian Football Federation, Pascale Van Damme, the Royal Netherlands Football Association, Just Spee, and the German Football Association, Bernd Neuendorf, announced the official launch of the bid.

“Following months of preparations, we look forward to presenting our bid to host the FIFA 2027 Women’s World Cup, which we are confident will deliver a tournament of unparalleled quality for both participating teams and fans from across the world seeking to taste the unique experience and thrill of elite international football.

“Women’s football finds itself at a historical moment in its development building on the growth witnessed in recent years.

“We are convinced that a successful BNG2027 bid can act as a powerful catalyst to ensure the women’s game can tap into the huge opportunities and potential that exist to fulfill its development at every level across every country, leading to enhanced levels of participation and deepening engagement and interest from fans and stakeholders”, the statement read.

Who are other hosting bidders?

The new joint European bid is one of four contenders to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

Australia and New Zealand co-hosted the 2023 Women’s World Cup. That tournament set the record for several firsts in the competition’s history. For example, 32 teams participated for the first time. Spain won the tournament, defeating England 1-0 to secure their first WWC trophy.

Germany has previously hosted the Women’s World Cup in 2011, with Japan winning the title. Among the three European nations in the bid, Germany is the only one to have won the event. Germany won the Women’s World Cup in both 2003 and 2007.

While it is relatively uncommon for either the men’s or women’s World Cup to be hosted across multiple countries, FIFA seems to be considering this as a potential future direction for its premier tournaments. The 2002 Men’s World Cup was jointly hosted by Japan and South Korea, and the 2026 Men’s World Cup is planned to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The prospect of another Women’s World Cup spanning multiple nations could indeed be highly entertaining, particularly for fans traveling to the event. It provides an opportunity for a diverse range of fans to come together and celebrate the beautiful game on a global scale.

PHOTO: IMAGO.