Prime Minister Keir Starmer has thrown his weight behind a United Kingdom bid for the 2035 Fifa Women’s World Cup.
The bid would combine stadiums from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and, if it is successful, would see the Home Nations host the showpiece women’s event for the first time ever.
Starmer said the planned bid had his government’s “full support”, adding “football is and always will be at the core of our country’s identity”.
“Whether we watch on TV, play at the weekends like I do, or simply enjoy soaking up the atmosphere in the pub, it brings communities together like little else.”
Other interested bidders include Morocco, South Africa and Spain.
A Home Nations statement read: “The Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will collectively submit an expression of interest to FIFA for the United Kingdom to host the Women’s World Cup in 2035.”
World Cup history
There is around a month to go for bidders to submit expressions of interest, with Saudi Arabian officials last year saying they would be targeting the 2035 event to coincide with their men’s Fifa World Cup in 2034.
Brazil will host the 2027 edition while Morocco, South Africa and Mexico with the USA have put their names, thus far, into the hat for 2031.
England has only ever hosted one Fifa World Cup, the 1966 men’s edition – in which England won.
The home nations have hosted or co-hosted the men’s Euros twice and will again – with Ireland – in 2028.
England has hosted the women’s Euros twice, in 2005 and again in 2022, when the Lionesses won England’s first piece of major silverware since the 1966 World Cup.
The Lionesses lost the 2023 World Cup final 1-0 to Spain in Sydney in a match that led to a trial of harassment for former vice president of Uefa Luis Rubiales.