LATEST NEWS: South Africa withdrew bid to host Women's World Cup in 2027
South Africa has withdrawn from the bidding to host the 2027 Women's World Cup, expressing concerns about presenting a rushed proposal to FIFA in December.
The deadline for submitting comprehensive plans for the tournament is December 8th, and South African officials believe it would be more prudent to aim for hosting the following edition in 2031.
"We felt it was better to present a well-prepared bid for 2031, rather than producing a rushed presentation," said South African Football Association chief executive Lydia Monyepao.
This withdrawal leaves the 2027 contest with three bids: joint bids from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, and from Mexico and the United States, as well as a bid from Brazil.
The decision on which bid will succeed and follow the co-hosts Australia and New Zealand in staging the increasingly popular tournament will be made at a FIFA congress on May 17th , 2024.
The current champions are Spain, who defeated England 1-0 in a final watched by a crowd of 75,784 in Sydney last August.