Chicago has thrown its hat into the ring to host matches at the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, months after withdrawing from a bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The city and Portland filed their paperwork with U.S. Soccer that is being processed before being given to FIFA to consider.
The US is hosting a combined bid with Mexico, Jamaica and Costa Rica. It will be the first time the 48-team competition has been played, with a total of 104 matches set to take place in the four countries.
Chicago might propose the 61,500-capacity Soldier Field, while it will also have a new 22,000-capacity stadium for the Chicago Fire ready in 2028.
“We wanted to be in the mix but in a way that is equitable for taxpayers,” said Kara Bachman, executive director of the Chicago Sports Commission.
The city had earlier dropped its bid to host the 2026 men’s World Cup after disagreements over requirements set by FIFA and how much it could cost the public purse.
Moreover, a handful of US cities are lobbying FIFA for concessions such as more flexible rules for stadium branding, fan festivals and sharing of revenues.
FIFA is scheduled to publish the decision on the winning countries on 23 November, but negotiations continue to be about hosting duties.
The original 27 cities proposed in the bid still remain as possible sites, including Chicago and Portland.
