The United Kingdom should aim to host the Fifa Women’s World Cup within the next 15 years, the body responsible for elite sport in the country says.
UK Sport has released a list of 70 “aspirational” target events in total.
The list also includes the men’s Rugby World Cup, World Championships athletics, the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup and the Tour de France.
“We want to host a programme of live sport that resonates with the British public,” UK Sport’s Simon Morton said.
The organisation oversees funding for top-level sport across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
It added: “The events identified have the potential to deliver approximately £5bn of economic impact, across 20 locations, for over 15 million fans.”
England has hosted the women’s Euros twice – first in 2005 and then in 2022, which England won by beating Germany in extra time.
For the 2027 edition Fifa has received a bid from Brazil and two multi-national bids, the first from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, and the second from Mexico and the United States.
The bidding for 2031 is not set to open until the 2027 host has been announced.
England reached the final of the 2023 World Cup but were beaten 1-0 by Spain.
The women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 will be hosted by England and Birmingham has been selected as the host city for the European Athletics Championships in 2026
Uefa Euro 2028 will take place across the UK’s constituent countries – England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – as well as the Republic of Ireland.
The new list from UK Sport does not include the Commonwealth Games, which was last hosted by Birmingham in 2022.
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said: “With the Uefa Champions League final at Wembley in June and the women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 we are building on our world-leading reputation for hosting major sporting events.
“We are working closely with UK Sport and partners to fulfil our shared ambition to deliver up to 70 major events across 30 different sports to the UK in the years ahead.”
Some of the events UK Sport hopes to target:
- Fifa Women’s World Cup
- Men’s Rugby World Cup
- Athletics World Championships
- Ryder Cup (golf)
- Solheim Cup (golf)
- Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes (cycling)
- Women’s Netball World Cup
- Skateboarding World Championships
- Olympic Qualifier Series (various sports)
- UCI Cycling World Championships
- Athletics Diamond League
- World Triathlon Para Cup
- Judo Grand Prix
- World Taekwondo Grand Prix
- World Triathlon Sprint & Relay Championships
Analysis
Dan Roan, BBC sports editor
Twelve years on from London 2012, UK Sport is clearly concerned about the increasing competition it is facing from traditional rivals, but also new ones such as Saudi Arabia, when it comes to the staging of major events.
The funding agency believes Britain now needs to respond, and says it wants to prioritise events that offer “reach and resonance”.
A potential bid for the Women’s football World Cup will grab the headlines, but also noticeable is an emphasis on urban sports and esports events.
It is also significant that the Commonwealth Games does not appear on the list of targeted events. Britain has hosted three of the past six Commonwealth Games but UK Sport has concerns about its cost and the value it offers in its current format.