Nine Northern and Scottish stadiums named in UK bid for 2035 Women’s World Cup

The UK has formally submitted its bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035.

If successful, it would be the biggest single-sport event ever held in the UK and the country’s first FIFA World Cup since 1966.

The FA, Irish FA, Scottish FA and FA of Wales have put forward 22 stadiums in 16 host cities: 16 in England, three in Wales, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland.

Venues outside London and the South on the list are Elland Road in Leeds, Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool, the Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford in Manchester, St James’ Park in Newcastle, the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, Easter Road in Edinburgh, Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.

Organisers expect 4.5m ticket sales and forecast a global TV audience of 3.5bn.

The tournament would feature 104 matches played by 48 teams over 39 days. The bid proposes 48 team base camp training sites, 82 venue-specific training sites and 32 FIFA Fan Festival sites.

'All Together'

The bid is based on the theme ‘All Together’, which organisers called “a rallying cry for women’s football and sport more broadly to empower worldwide.”

In a joint statement, the chief executives of The FA, Irish FA, Scottish FA and FA of Wales said: “Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup would be a huge privilege for our four home nations. If we are successful, the 2035 tournament will be the biggest single-sport event held on UK soil.

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

They added: “Together, we want to welcome the world to the UK to celebrate and enjoy an unforgettable tournament.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Our bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup shows the UK’s passion for football.

“The Lionesses’ success has inspired girls across our country, and we’ll 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 up and down the UK.”

He also pointed to “significant investment in school sport and grassroots facilities through our Plan for Change”.

Old Trafford and Wrexham

Old Trafford is included in its current form, because the planned new stadium “does not currently have sufficient information for FIFA assessment” and cannot be considered in the bid process.

In Wrexham, the Racecourse is being redeveloped to hold 18,000 fans. Capacity is expected to rise further before 2035, which would allow it to meet the technical requirements.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “Bringing the FIFA Women’s World Cup here would be a massive moment for the Liverpool City Region.

“But while the football is one thing, for me it’s about inspiring young people, backing equality in sport, and showing the world what our region is all about: talent, opportunity, and a proper warm welcome.

“We’ve proven time and again that we know how to put on major global events. We’ve got the people, the talent and of course the know-how to make this a truly unforgettable tournament.”