U.S. 2031 Women's World Cup Bid Faces Delays Over Trump Guarantees, Host City Demands

FIFA has not received crucial government guarantees from the White House, while host cities want better financial terms than the 2026 men's World Cup.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 11:03am

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The confirmation of the U.S.-led bid to host the 2031 Women's World Cup has been delayed as FIFA has not received the necessary government guarantees from the White House, and host cities are holding out for more favorable financial terms than they secured for the 2026 men's World Cup.

Why it matters

The 2031 Women's World Cup will be the first 48-team edition, representing significant growth for the women's game globally. The U.S. bid, in partnership with Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, is seen as a frontrunner, but the lack of White House support and host city demands could jeopardize the bid's chances.

The details

FIFA requires various government guarantees as part of World Cup bids, including on visas, tax exemptions, and safety/security. The White House has yet to provide these for the 2031 U.S.-led bid. Additionally, potential host cities want a larger share of the financial pie than they received for the 2026 men's World Cup, where they bore significant costs for security, transportation, and other services.

  • The U.S. bid was formally presented in October 2026.
  • The bid was originally supposed to be approved at the FIFA Congress on April 30, 2026, but FIFA has delayed the decision to an Extraordinary Congress before the end of 2026.

The players

Cindy Parlow Cone

President of U.S. Soccer, who said there is 'tremendous excitement' across the country for the 2031 bid.

Donald Trump

The President of the United States, whose administration has not provided the required government guarantees to support the 2031 bid.

Gianni Infantino

The President of FIFA, who will be part of the delegation that the host cities must provide police escorts for.

Robert Kraft

The owner of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, who had to backstop $7.8 million in security costs for the 2026 World Cup.

Andrew Giuliani

The director of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force.

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What they’re saying

“When I think about '31 and the operating model, we have some time to figure it out. There's gonna be a ton of learnings from the '26 men's World Cup. And while we may not want to copy and paste what happened, we definitely want to learn from this tournament to see what maybe could change, maybe could be adjusted, or maybe be added.”

— Cindy Parlow Cone, President, U.S. Soccer

What’s next

The FIFA Council will convene an Extraordinary Congress before the end of 2026 to present the bids for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups.

The takeaway

The 2031 Women's World Cup bid faces significant hurdles, with the White House yet to provide required guarantees and host cities demanding a better financial deal than the 2026 men's tournament. These challenges could jeopardize the U.S.-led bid's chances, even as the women's game continues to grow in global prominence.