UK’S BIG BID TO HOST THE 2035 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

With backing from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the UK has thrown its hat in the ring to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035, submitting the only bid on the table.

They’ve proposed a massive tournament spread across 22 stadiums in 15-16 cities: 16 venues in England, three in Wales, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland.

Notable sites include classic grounds like Hampden Park and Principality Stadium, as well as ambitious plans for brand-new stadiums, such as a reimagined Old Trafford and a new 62,000-seat stadium for Birmingham City.

With 48 teams expected to compete across 104 matches over 39 days, the staging would be the biggest single-sport event ever held in the UK and the first senior FIFA World Cup on British soil since 1966.

Organisers are promising broad accessibility, noting that as many as 63 million people in the UK would live within two hours of a match venue. They're also targeting 4.5 million tickets for sale and projecting a global TV audience of 3.5 billion.

Although a new Old Trafford remains on the shortlist, the bid suggests the final would likely be held at Wembley Stadium, widely viewed as the top candidate to host the tournament's climax.

Image credit: Sky News