The United Kingdom has officially launched a joint bid to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup.
According to the Guardian, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales plan to host the tournament across 15 cities, with 22 stadiums in the mix.
Some of the venues proposed by the Football Association (FA) are currently under redevelopment, while the proposed new stadiums of Birmingham City and Manchester United are also in the running.
Both venues are expected to be completed well before 2035.
If Chelsea also open their proposed new stadium before then, or renovate Stamford Bridge, they could also be considered.
The same goes for Wrexham, whose journey from non-league divisions to the Championship is considered one of the most historic achievements in English football.
Of the proposed stadiums, 16 are in England, three in Wales, two in Scotland, and one in Northern Ireland.
The FA’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, said the selection was designed to bring the entire country into the event.
“Sixty-three million people live within two hours of a match venue that we’re proposing,” he said.
“We think it brings together the whole country and some of the most recognisable cities and stadia that we have. We’ve also included some stadia that have not been built.
“We’ve done that really consciously to make a confident statement that in 10 years these stadiums will be among the best in the world.
“If they’re built, then we obviously want them eligible for inclusion.”
Of the 22 proposed stadiums, only 14 to 16 will make the final list, but the FA has received plenty of interest from clubs and local councils to host matches.
It’s an entirely different scenario from the 2022 European Women’s Championship when the FA had to persuade some cities to participate.
The UK is the sole bidder for the hosting rights of the 2035 Women’s World Cup.
The 2031 tournament also has just one bid submitted from the United States, Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica, while Brazil is expected to host the 2027 edition.
