France and South Korea were in the running to host the event, but the former was awarded the tournament following a unanimous decision taken by the FIFA Executive Committee in Zurich today. 

England, New Zealand and South Africa had all initially expressed an interest in staging the tournament but, in the end, did not submit bids. 

It will be the first time France has held a senior women's football tournament, and the competition will follow hot on the trail of the 2016 UEFA European Championships, which the country is also staging.  

Previously, the country hosted the 2008 UEFA European Women's Under-19 and the 2000 Women's Under-18 Championships. 

France will become the third European country after Sweden in 1995 and Germany 2011 to host the FIFA Women's World Cup after beating South Korea ©FFF

Michel Platini, the Frenchman who is President of UEFA, led the congratulations.

"Everyone in France will be very pleased I am sure - and women's football is growing very strongly in the country," he said.

Although the World Cup will not take place until the vote in 2017, today's decision will also be interpreted as another boost for a possible bid from Paris for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, demonstrating that France is capable of bidding for and being awarded major events.

The Women's World Cup has been held every four years since 1991, with the seventh edition due to be played in Canada from June 6 to July 5.

Semi-finalists at both the 2011 World Cup and 2012 Olympics, France will be among eight European contenders in Canada. 

The World Cup is the biggest single-sport event played by women.

The number of participants in the qualifiers has almost tripled from 45 teams in 1991 to 128 in 2015.

The number of qualification matches has also risen considerably, from 110 in 1991 to 398.

France will follow in footsteps of past European hosts Sweden in 1995 and Germany 2011.

French Footbal Federation President Christmas Graët celebrates his country's successful bid to host the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup ©FFF

Eleven French cities have expressed an interest in hosting matches during the tournament in 2019.

A total of nine venues will be chosen from Auxerre, Grenoble, Lyon, Le Havre, Montpellier, Nancy, Nice, Reims, Rennes, Paris and Valenciennes.

It has already been announced that the Grand Stade de Lyon, the new €250 million (£181 million/$266 million) 58,000-seat stadium currently under construction for Euro 2016 and which will be home to Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais, will stage the opening match and final.

France will host the FIFA Women's Under-20 World Cup in 2018 as a test event.

The tournament, featuring 16 teams, will be based in Brittany and take place in Rennes, Saint Brieuc, Vannes and Saint-Malo.

"This event is a great for women's football development and women's sport in our country," said Christmas Graët, President of the French Football Federation (FFF). 

French captain Wendie Renard hopes her team can emulate the men, winners of the FIFA World Cup when it was staged in France in 1998 ©Getty Images

Wendie Renard, captain of the French team, meanwhile, hoped the event will prove as successful for the host nation as when they staged the men's FIFA World Cup in 1998 and, led by Zinedine Zidane, they beat Brazil 3-0 in the final. 

"It's a dream to play in a World Cup in your own country," said Renard.

"We all remember 98.

"I want to experience the same emotions."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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