South Africa withdraw bid to host 2027 Women's World Cup, leaving three bids in the running - including the United States and Mexico

South Africa's Football Association has confirmed that it does not intend to bid for the 2027 Women's World Cup and will instead focus on putting together a bid to host the 2031 tournament.

The bids remaining in the running are as follows, per Reuters: a joint bid from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium, a joint bid from the United States and Mexico, and a bid from Brazil.

The SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao said: "We felt that it was better to present a well-prepared bid for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup and ensure we put our best foot forward, rather than producing a rushed presentation."

There has been controversy surrounding the fact that the Women's World Cup has yet to be allocated. The tournament is in just four years. By comparison, the hosts of the 2026, 2030 and 2034 men's tournaments have already been announced: Canada, Mexico and the United States for '26, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay for '30, and Saudi Arabia for '34.

The bidding process will continue for the 2027 World Cup. FIFA will confirm the hosts in May 2024, a mere three years before the tournament.