The United Kingdom will attempt to secure the right to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup with Manchester United’s proposed new stadium a big part of their plans for the event
16:35, 28 Nov 2025Updated 16:41, 28 Nov 2025
Manchester United’s proposed new stadium is at the heart of The FA’s joint-bid to stage the 2035 Women’s World Cup(Image: Foster + Partners/PA Wire)
The new-look Manchester United stadium will be at the heart of the United Kingdom’s bid to stage for the 2035 Women’s World Cup.
It would be the largest single-sport event ever held in the country and staged across 22 stadiums in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The 48 team tournament would be projected to have 4.5 million tickets on sale as well as attracting a global audience of 3.5 billion.
The bid has full Government backing, is currently unopposed and could get the go-ahead next year. Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “We believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone.”
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England won the World Cup the last time the men’s tournament was hosted in 1966 and the Lionesses have enjoyed huge success under Sarina Wiegman, winning the last two European Championships.
The home Euros – staged in 2022 – is still remembered as a turning point for the women’s game and the joint bid would have a similar effect across the UK and be a huge boost for sport.
The poster for the UK’s 2035 World Cup bid campaign
The new-look Old Trafford is included in the proposals along with Birmingham City’s state-of-the-art new stadium.
United’s new stadium has made the shortlist of 22 stadiums despite being at a very early stage of redevelopment and would cost an estimated £4.2 billion. The stadium is listed as Trafford rather than Manchester.
The FIFA Womens World Cup trophy (Image: PA Archive)
Wembley is one of the five London stadiums, although Chelsea would have to relocate or redevelop to match FIFA’s standards.
Elsewhere, the three Welsh stadiums put forward include Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground, Hampden Park in Glasgow and Easter Road in Edinburgh are the two Scottish options and Windsor Park is the sole Northern Irish venue.
Bullingham added: “Until we’ve got the same number of women and girls playing as men and boys, we’ve got a job to do. Clearly, there’s a long way to go for that.”
United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche sai: “We are proud to be part of the rich sporting and cultural fabric of Trafford, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 is a brilliant opportunity for us to showcase our home to the rest of the world.
“Our ambition is to build a new 100,000-seater stadium fit to host the biggest international football games.”
The Lionesses celebrate winning Euro 2025(Image: Getty)
The proposed dates for the World Cup are June 21 to July 29, and the Football Association is confident it has the facilities, transport network and legal guarantees to stage a successful tournament.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the prime minister, said: “The Lionesses’ success has inspired girls across our country, and we’ll build on that momentum by welcoming millions of football fans from around the world to a tournament that will benefit communities and businesses in host cities up and down the UK.”
England boss Sarina Wiegman, who has done so much for the women’s game by achieving back-to-back Euro victories, added: “It is really exciting. I would have never dreamed we would be here where we are now. But we have a long way to go.
“This opportunity in 10 years’ time and what it will bring and boost will be exciting. It’s not done yet but it is exciting to see what it would look like. The women’s game is growing and we want to keep pushing.”
The full list of stadiums featuring in the 2035 Women’s World Cup bid:
Windsor Park (Belfast)
Sports Quarter Stadium (Birmingham)
Villa Park (Birmingham)
American Express Stadium (Brighton & Hove)
Ashton Gate (Bristol)
Cardiff City Stadium (Cardiff)
Principality Stadium (Cardiff)
Easter Road (Edinburgh)
Hampden Park (Glasgow)
Elland Road (Leeds)
Hill Dickinson Stadium (Liverpool)
Chelsea Stadium (London)
Emirates Stadium (London)
Selhurst Park (London)
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London)
Wembley Stadium (London)
Etihad Stadium (Manchester)
St James’ Park (Newcastle)
City Ground (Nottingham)
Stadium of Light (Sunderland)
Old Trafford (Trafford)
Stok Cae Ras (Wrexham)
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