Football

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and its Mexican counterpart have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, opting instead to focus on securing the 2031 tournament. This decision leaves Brazil and a combined bid from Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium as the remaining contenders for the 2027 event.The USSF's decision was driven by a desire to ensure equitable investment in both the men's and women's World Cups. FIFA had previously announced plans to allocate $896 million in prize money for the 2026 men's World Cup, while only $110 million was allocated for the 2023 women's World Cup."Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking," said USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone. "Shifting our bid will enable us to host a record-breaking Women's World Cup in 2031 that will help to grow and raise the level of the women's game both here at home as well as across the globe."The USSF's 2031 bid will propose that FIFA invest equally in the men's and women's World Cups. This move is seen as a significant step towards achieving gender equity in the sport.The Mexican Football Federation (MFF) echoed the USSF's sentiments, stating that moving their bid to 2031 would allow them to "promote and build up to the most successful Women's World Cup ever."The 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup will be the ninth edition of the tournament and the first to feature 32 teams. The host nation will be selected by the FIFA Congress on May 17 in Bangkok.