The FIFA Council has set the dates for the next FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, confirming that Morocco will host the tournament from October 17 to November 7, 2026, following a meeting held Thursday from its headquarters in Zurich.
A statement issued at the end of the meeting noted that the dates for the 2026 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations have also been adjusted in the international match calendar for women’s football, now scheduled from July 26 to August 16, 2026, with a shortened player release period beginning on July 20, 2026.
Among other decisions, the meeting approved the voting procedures to select the host countries for the 2031 and 2035 editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, under a single-bid process.
An extraordinary Congress will be held by the end of 2026 to present the bids, including a joint proposal from Costa Rica, the United States, Jamaica, and Mexico for 2031 and from the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales) for 2035. The 2031 edition will also mark an expansion to a 48-team format.
The Council also endorsed the strengthening of its global development program with the unanimous adoption of the 2025 Annual Report, which projects record revenues of $14 billion for the 2027–2030 cycle to be reinvested in football. FIFA confirmed an unprecedented increase in funding allocated to its member associations, with a $2.7 billion envelope for the Forward program—eight times higher than the levels in place before 2016.
Quoted in the statement, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said these investments are aimed at expanding opportunities to play and compete for men, women, and youth, as well as modernizing infrastructure and improving access to technology worldwide.
Infantino also stressed that this financial growth is largely driven by the success of the FIFA World Cup, the organization’s main source of revenue, which he said helps broaden access to football and strengthen its educational and social role globally.
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