2023 Women’s World Cup bidders lobby for European backing

By Samindra Kunti in Amsterdam

March 3 – The bidding race for the 2023 Women’s World Cup is shifting gear. On the eve of the UEFA Congress in the Dutch capital, the four bids pitched their tournament plans to the European governing body’s Executive Committee. 

Brazil, Colombia, Japan and the joint bid of Australia and New Zealand presented their vision for the quadrennial high mass of the women’s game during presentations to the powerful UEFA executive committee. Together with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Europe holds half of the vote in the FIFA Council which will award the hosting rights for the 2023 Women’s World Cup at the FIFA Congress in Ethiopia in June.

Those votes will form a major battleground of a race in which a frontrunner is still to emerge. Last week FIFA’s inspection team wrapped up their visits to the bidding nations, with Japan the last country on the schedule. “We are the only nation to win in all age categories,” said JFA president and FIFA Council member Kohzo Tashima. “We are confident to be successful in the race. It is a good race against three strong opponents.”

The Brazilian delegation, led by Fernando Sarney, voiced similar confidence, notwithstanding a rival bid from Colombia in the South American confederation. Colombia’s bid could split the Conmebol vote, but Brazil is widely expected to pull their weight in the region. The Brazilians, however, struck a discordant note as their delegation did not include a woman.

The four bids all have different sales pitches.

Brazil says that staging the 2023 Women’s World Cup can act as the legacy of the 2014 Men’s World Cup; Colombia stresses the importance of hosting a major tournament for the country and proposes low ticket prices; and Australia and New Zealand argue that their bid will be ‘player centric’ with the aim of increasing female participation. Finally, Japan, 2011 Women’s World Cup champion, promises 5G connectivity in its stadiums.

The 2023 finals will be the first featuring 32 teams. Last year in April, FIFA sent bid registration documents to interested member associations, outlining what would be required from bidders to organise the competition, but, following the success of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, won by the US, FIFA decided to fast-track the tournament’s expansion from 24 teams to 32 over the summer, and reopened the bidding process.

Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1711657960labto1711657960ofdlr1711657960owedi1711657960sni@t1711657960catno1711657960c1711657960