British bids for the 2035 Women’s World Cup; The new stadium proposed by Manchester United is one of the possible locations

British football chiefs on Friday revealed details of their unhindered joint bid to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup, with 22 proposed stadiums listed in the official submission.

The bid team said the 48-team final would be the biggest sporting event ever held in Britain.

It would be the first World Cup to be played on British soil since the 1966 men’s final, which was hosted solely by England.

“With 63 million people living within two hours of a proposed venue, this would be the most accessible tournament ever,” the bid team said in a statement.

Sixteen of the shortlisted stadiums are in England, with three in Wales, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland, spread across fifteen cities.

The final number of stadiums is expected to be reduced to approximately 16.

A measure of the size of the event is that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar used only eight stadiums.

The bid is expected to be ratified by FIFA, football’s world governing body, next year.

“Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup would be a huge privilege for our four home countries,” said the CEOs of the four football associations.

“If we are successful, the 2035 tournament will be the biggest sporting event on British soil, with 4.5 million tickets available to fans.

“We are proud of the growth we have achieved in the women’s and girls’ game in recent years, but there is so much more growth to come, and this event will play a key role in helping us achieve that.”

Manchester United’s existing Old Trafford stadium is included, but the bid team plans to submit the club’s new ground to FIFA for consideration once plans are confirmed.

READ ALSO: Chelsea’s Buchanan to help finance female players in single-parent families with the help of FIFA

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the bid showed Britain’s passion for football.

“The success of the (England) Lionesses has inspired girls across our country, and we will 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 across the UK,” he said.

The England women’s team has won the past two European Championships and reached the final of the 2023 World Cup.

From 2031, the Women’s World Cup will be contested between 48 teams, up from 32.

Last month, US officials confirmed that Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica had joined their bid for the 2031 tournament.

The United States had already been announced as the sole bidder by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

The next Women’s World Cup will take place in Brazil in 2027.

Published on November 28, 2025