England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are set to submit a historic joint bid to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup.

Since the inaugural tournament in 1991, none of the home nations have hosted the World Cup and only England has hosted a major tournament with the Women’s Euros in 2005 and 2022. 

Women’s football in the UK has been on the rise in the last few years, but hosting a World Cup could be monumental for fan engagement, funding and participation going forward. The surge in women’s football interest in England after 2022 has proven how much of an impact these tournaments can have on the sport’s cultural landscape.

If the bid is successful, it could mark the first time that Wales and Northern Ireland will play in a Women’s World Cup, giving those players a chance to perform on the biggest stage.

Though official bids won’t be submitted until the final quarter of 2025, the UK’s bid will likely go up against another historic bid from South Africa, hoping to be the first African country to host women’s football’s biggest tournament.

With 2027’s edition heading to Brazil and the USA likely to host a record third tournament in 2031, the next decade of women’s football is in good hands. Fingers crossed, football’s coming home in 2035.