NEW YORK -- U.S. Soccer's 2031 Women's World Cup bid will include Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica, the federation presidents confirmed at a news conference on Monday at the Solow Building in Midtown Manhattan.
The 2031 Women's World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams after the FIFA Council unanimously approved the expansion from 32 teams in a vote in May.
"We're incredibly proud to be leading this bid for the 2031 Women's World Cup alongside our Concacaf partners in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica," U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. "Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to host the biggest and most impactful Women's World Cup in history, one that will inspire a new generation of fans and help grow the women's game across our entire region and around the world. We're excited to drive lasting progress for women's soccer by creating a legacy that reaches far beyond 2031 and sets a new global standard for the sport."
The U.S.-led joint bid for 2031 is uncontested, and FIFA is expected to ratify it at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia, on April 30 of next year. U.S. Soccer said this past April that it was waiting for FIFA to finalize the size of the tournament before announcing its "partnership structure" with other nations from Concacaf.
The 2031 Women's World Cup will mark the third time hosting for the U.S. (1999, 2003), more than any other nation. China, which hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1991 followed by the 2007 edition, has also hosted twice. Canada, Mexico and the United States will co-host the 2026 Men's World Cup, which will be the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams. Eleven of the 16 host cities for that event are in the United States, and the final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said earlier this year that he has a target of $1 billion in revenue for the Women's World Cup after the 2023 edition, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, broke even with $570 million in revenue.
U.S. Soccer said on Monday that it expects the 2031 tournament to draw an estimated 4.5 million fans across all four nations.
FIFA's desire to place major events in the U.S. for its strong commercial value has come with controversy, however. Exorbitant ticket prices for the 2026 Men's World Cup have drawn criticism from fans. Tickets for the final can cost as much as $6,730 each.
Jamaica's inclusion in the bid will mark the first time that a Caribbean nation will host a senior World Cup match. Jamaica's women's national team is currently ranked No. 40 in the world and made the round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup.
Mexico is ranked No. 29 in the world but failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup. Costa Rica is ranked No. 43 in the world.
"This will have a huge impact on the psyche of every single Jamaican," Michael Ricketts, president of the Jamaica Football Federation, said in a statement. "It is no ordinary feat for a small country like ours to host World Cup matches. This is absolutely tremendous. We are very hopeful and optimistic that we can put together an experience that is truly memorable for our players and fans. This is huge for Jamaica and for every person who proudly calls themselves Jamaican."
The U.S. and Mexico originally expressed formal interest in hosting the 2027 Women's World Cup, but they pulled out of that process to focus on 2031. Brazil will host the 2027 Women's World Cup, bringing the event to South America for the first time.
The UK is expected to host the 2035 Women's World Cup after England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland submitted the only "valid bid," according to Infantino.
Mexico previously announced in May that it would co-host the 2031 World Cup, although U.S. Soccer and FIFA declined to confirm the news at the time.