UK Sport: A Women's World Cup bid should be considered in the next 15 years

The UK should aim to host the FIFA Women's World Cup within the next 15 years, the body responsible for the country's elite sport has said.

UK Sport has released a list of 70 “ambitious” target events in total.

The list also includes the Men's Rugby World Cup, the World Championships in Athletics, the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and the Tour de France.

Simon Morton of UK Sport said: “We want to host a live sports program that resonates with British audiences.”

The organization oversees funding for high-level sport across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

“The events identified have the potential to generate nearly £5 billion of economic impact, across 20 venues, for more than 15 million fans,” she added.

For the 2027 edition, FIFA received a bid from Brazil and two multinational bids, the first from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, and the second from Mexico and the United States.

Bidding for 2031 will not open until the host country for 2027 has been announced.

England will host the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2025, and Birmingham has been selected as the host city for the European Athletics Championships in 2026.

Euro 2028 will be held in the constituent countries of the United Kingdom – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – as well as the Republic of Ireland.

The new list from UK Sport does not include the Commonwealth Games, which Birmingham last hosted in 2022.

Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said: “With the Champions League final at Wembley in June and the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, we are building on our world-leading reputation for hosting major sporting events.”

“We are working closely with UK Sport and our partners to achieve our shared ambition to deliver up to 70 major events across 30 different sports in the UK in the coming years.”

Some of the events UK Sport are hoping to target:

Dan Rowan, BBC Sports Editor

Twelve years on from London 2012, British sport is clearly concerned about the increasing competition it faces from traditional rivals, but also from new rivals such as Saudi Arabia, when it comes to organizing major events.

The funding agency believes Britain now needs to respond, and says it wants to prioritize events that provide “reach and resonance”.

A potential bid to host the FIFA Women's World Cup will grab the headlines, but also notable is the focus on urban sports and eSports events.

It is also significant that the Commonwealth Games do not appear on the list of targeted events. Britain has hosted three of the past six Commonwealth Games, but UK Sport has concerns about its cost and the value it offers in its current form.