FIFA has delayed confirming the 2031 Women’s World Cup host, as the US-led bid still lacks required government guarantees.
The joint proposal from the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica remains the only valid bid. However, FIFA requires multiple federal assurances before awarding hosting rights. This includes a Government Declaration from the head of state and a legal guarantee from the justice department covering visas, security, and tax exemptions.
The Trump White House has yet been to provide those guarantees, according to sources familiar with the process. The delay has stalled what was expected to be a routine FIFA Congress approval later this spring, pushing back key planning steps.
The White House did not respond The Athletic's requests for comment this week. The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup task force also declined to comment on the guarantees.
FIFA, meanwhile, plans to adjust its timeline. In a statement to the New York Times sports publication, the governing body said it had "unanimously decided” to delay the vote. It will instead hold a stand-alone Extraordinary Congress to “highlight the growing power and influence of women’s football.”
US Soccer Looks to Learn From 2026 Men's World Cup Process
The 2031 tournament is set to become the biggest Women’s World Cup yet, expanding from 32 to 48 teams. US Soccer subsequently confirmed that more than 30 US cities have expressed interest in hosting matches in 2031.
“We have some time to figure it out. There’s gonna be a ton of learnings from the ’26 Men’s World Cup,” US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said this week.
“And while we may not want to copy and paste what happened, we definitely want to learn from this tournament.”
The 2031 joint bid estimates $4 billion in potential revenue — some eight times the New Zealand-Australia-hosted 2023 World Cup's earnings.
“FIFA has been a great partner,” Parlow Cone added. “We’ll continue those conversations.”
