South Africa have pulled out of the contest to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup, citing fears they would have to deliver a “rushed presentation” to FIFA during December.
The deadline for submitting comprehensive plans for the tournament is 8 December and South African officials believe it would be wiser to try and host the following edition in 2031.
“We felt it was better to present a well-prepared bid for 2031… rather than producing a rushed presentation”, said South African Football Association chief executive Lydia Monyepao.
The withdrawal of South Africa reduces the 2027 contest to three bids — joint ones by Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Mexico and the United States, and one from Brazil.
A FIFA congress on 17 May 2024 will decide which bid succeeds and follows co-hosts Australia and New Zealand in staging the increasingly popular four-yearly tournament.
Spain are the champions having defeated England 1-0 in a final watched by a crowd of 75,784 in Sydney last August.
