With soccer’s global governing body weeks away from selecting the host of the 2027 women’s World Cup, the United States and Mexico on Monday withdrew their joint bid to focus on landing the 2031 tournament.
The decision leaves Brazil and a combined bid by Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium as the remaining candidates for 2027, which will be decided by FIFA on May 17. With FIFA likely to prioritize development of the women’s game, Brazil becomes the front-runner to host a tournament that has never been staged in South America (or Africa).