The English FA, Irish FA, Scottish FA and FA of Wales recently welcomed a FIFA delegation on a FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 Inspection visit, which took place between 2 February and 6 February 2026.
The visit is a crucial element of the bidding process for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035, allowing FIFA the opportunity to view some of the stadia, training facilities and other venues across the UK within the bid.
On Monday 2 February, FIFA were welcomed by the UK’s four member associations, where upon arrival the delegation received an overview of the submitted bid, outlining the vision and legacy for the tournament across the UK and beyond. The four Football Associations are united in the belief that the FIFA Women’s World Cup belongs to everyone, and the greatest players in the world will be welcomed to host cities and venues in every part of the UK, greeted by passionate fans who will truly make them feel at home.
Underpinned by comprehensive support from governments and public authorities, the bid focuses on three key areas:
- Growing participation, locally and globally
- Developing the workforce and leadership to support the women’s game
- Driving commercial growth
Across the following four days, the FIFA delegates visited numerous sites across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Inspections were carried out across training facilities, team hotels and fan festival sites. This involved proposed Stadia including Wembley Stadium connected by EE, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Brighton’s American Express Stadium, Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, Cardiff City Stadium, Glasgow’s Hampden Park and Clearer Twist National Stadium in Belfast. All of which bring to life the proposed scale of the tournament which would see 4.5 million ticket sales.
Throughout the visit, the FIFA delegation saw firsthand the quality of the venues and the ease in which they can be navigated throughout the UK, with 63 million people living within two hours of a proposed stadium. This bid has been built on the powerful vision of ‘All Together’, and it was evident at every stop on the visit that the four home nations are ready to welcome the world with open arms and deliver a tournament that is inclusive, sustainable and memorable for teams, fans and the wider global sport community.
Mark Bullingham, CEO of the Football Association stated: “We were delighted to welcome the FIFA delegation to England as they visited the UK’s four home nations as part of our joint bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035.
“They were able to see first-hand the incredible venues and facilities we have to offer and learn more about our ambition to showcase the women’s and girls’ game. We are confident that together we will deliver a world-class tournament, with over 4.5 million tickets available across the UK, vibrant fan festivals, and strong legacy programmes. This will be a global celebration of women’s football, welcoming fans from around the world.”
The inspection visit is an important element of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 bidding process. The outcome of the bidding process will be revealed on Thursday 30 April 2026, when the 76th FIFA Congress will meet in Vancouver, Canada.
