South Africa to bid for 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup

South Africa will bid for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, seeking to bring the event to Africa for the first time.

South Africa was also the first African nation to stage the men’s FIFA World Cup, in 2010.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) Executive Committee vowed to bid for the event at its latest meeting.

“The NEC [National Executive Committee] has resolved that we must bid to host the World Cup for women in 2027,” SAFA chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe said.

“We as administration will duly inform FIFA and then start the process of hosting the World Cup.”

The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have already launched a joint bid for the competition and that will be among the South African proposal’s principle rivals.

A Scandinavian bid has been floated, but with Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden together bidding to host the 2025 European Championship the continental tournament could take precedence.

US Soccer has also indicated a desire to bid for either the 2027 or 2031 World Cups.

Next year’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand is due to be the first with 32 teams.

It will also leave Africa and South America as the only populated continents never to have staged the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

SAFA had been in the running for the 2023 World Cup but pulled out, claiming it wanted to focus on developing the women’s national league.

South Africa’s women’s football team are the reigning continental champions.

By Ali Iveson