Interested countries are required to submit their interest in the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup by April 21 ©Getty Images

FIFA has launched the bidding process for its 2027 Women's World Cup with a view to finalising a host at next year's Congress.

A first deadline of April 21 has been set for member associations to submit expressions of interest in hosting the 32-team quadrennial tournament, with the submission of a bidding agreement due by May 18.

A bid workshop and observer programme is planned during this year's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, scheduled for July 20 to August 20, with the final deadline for bids to be submitted December 8.

On-site inspection visits are planned by FIFA in February 2024, followed by a publication of the FIFA Bid Evaluation Report in May next year.

A host is scheduled to be decided from a maximum of three shortlisted by the FIFA Council at the 2024 Congress on May 17, with results and votes to be made public.

Bids are expected to include at least 10 stadiums of which a minimum of eight should already be in existence or under construction.

Stadiums are required to seat at least 20,000 fans, with 40,000 for the semi-finals and 65,000 for the opening match and final.

Brazil has declared its interest in hosting the 2027 Women's World Cup, having previously held the men's tournament in 1950 and 2014 and the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

The 2027 Women's World Cup is set to be the first elected by the FIFA Congress, after the Council awarded hosting rights to Australia and New Zealand for 2023 ©Getty Images
The 2027 Women's World Cup is set to be the first elected by the FIFA Congress, after the Council awarded hosting rights to Australia and New Zealand for 2023 ©Getty Images

Belgium, 2011 hosts Germany and The Netherlands are also interested in a joint bid, and 2010 men's World Cup hosts South Africa are expected to be a candidate.

Australia and New Zealand beat Colombia by 22 votes to 13 in a FIFA Council vote in 2020 to secure hosting rights for the 2023 Women's World Cup.

FIFA said the 2027 Women's World Cup bid process represented "the most robust and comprehensive" in the competition's history, with a Bid Evaluation Task Force's composition to be approved by the Council, an independent audit company to be appointed to monitor FIFA's compliance with the procedures and each bid to be required to appoint a compliance and ethics officer.

Secretary general Fatma Samoura of Senegal commented: "The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 will build on the legacy of the record-breaking edition that Australia and New Zealand are due to organise in a few months.

"In line with FIFA's commitment to women's football, this bidding process sets new standards and puts us on track to host an outstanding event in 2027, on and off the pitch."

This is set to be the first time the member associations at the Congress have decided the host for the Women's World Cup, a procedure used for the men's event since 2018 for the 2026 edition in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

A host for the 2030 men's World Cup is also due to be determined at next year's FIFA Congress.