With five years to go, the battle for the 2027 Women’s World Cup is heating up. South Africa, a declared candidate since last September, is represented this weekend in Auckland for the draw for the 2023 edition, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. A delegation from the South African Football Association (SAFA), led by its president, Danny Jordaan, made the trip to strengthen its lobbying. “We have the infrastructure, the stadiums, the hotels and the training facilities,” Jordaan said in a statement. “And, what helps is that we have already hosted a 32-team World Cup in 2010. The arrangements are in place and we will deliver on our commitments. The world knows our capabilities, it has seen the stadiums and our infrastructure.” Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany were the first to announce their joint bid for the Women’s World Cup in 2027. Chile, Italy, the United States, Mexico and the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) have also expressed interest in the tournament, but have not yet officially launched the campaign. The FIFA Women’s World Cup has never before been held on the African continent.
