Just months after a FIFA World Cup that both frustrated and rewarded American host cities, civic leaders across the country are navigating parallel bid processes for two more global tournaments: the 2031 Women’s World Cup and 2031 Men’s Rugby World Cup.

FIFA’s women’s tournament is proposed for mid-June through late July. The men’s rugby event, already awarded to the U.S., is targeting six weeks between mid-September and late November, overlapping with the NFL and college football seasons.

Thirty-two markets are believed to be pursuing at least one of the events in 2031, with two dozen in the running for both. Ten of the 11 U.S. hosts of the 2026 men’s World Cup are in consideration for both after Dallas withdrew from the rugby selection process.

Leaders in those cities, as well as others who watched from afar, are seeking more favorable hosting terms for the two 2031 events than FIFA dictated for its 2026 competition.

“You really can’t host the tournament without the cities,” said Kara Bachman, executive director of the Chicago Sports Commission. “I think that we’re all willing, able and ready, but yeah, just fair, balanced terms.”

Beyond the financials, local leaders are weighing their capacity to host both events, which to prioritize and what venue upgrades would be required. For rugby, stadium availability during football season will also factor into how many matches a city can host and at which stages of the tournament.

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