South Africa withdraw bid to host 2027 Women’s World Cup

South Africa have pulled out of the contest to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, citing fears they would have to deliver a “rushed presentation” to FIFA during December.

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The deadline for submitting comprehensive plans for the tournament is December 8 and South African officials believe it would be wiser to try and host 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.

The withdrawal of South Africa reduces the 2027 contest to three bids — joint ones by Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany and Mexico and the United States, and one from Brazil.

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A FIFA congress on May 17 2024 will decide which bid succeeds and follows co-hosts Australia and New Zealand in staging the increasingly popular four-yearly tournament.

Spain are the champions having defeated England 1-0 in a final watched by a crowd of 75,784 in Sydney last August.