By David Awopetu
Australia and New Zealand will co-host the 2023 Women’s World Cup after a vote by world football’s governing body.
FIFA announced its decision after a virtual executive council meeting on Thursday, with the successful bid receiving 22 of the 35 valid votes cast in the first ballot.
The joint bid had been favourite to win after Japan withdrew from the process earlier this month, leaving Colombia as the only competition.
The joint bid got the nod ahead of Colombia, which was the only other rival in the running after Brazil and Japan dropped out of the race earlier in June.
The 2023 version will be the first in the women’s game to feature 32 sides – up from the current 24.
The competition is scheduled to take place from July to August, 2023.
FIFA’s technical evaluation on all three hosts had put the Trans-Tasman bid way ahead of its rival, giving it a score of 4.1 out of five.
Japan was awarded 3.9, partly prompting its withdrawal, whilst Colombia scored only 2.8.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who has been praised for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, had publicly backed the bid.
Along with her Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, she had penned an open letter to FIFA, supporting the joint bid. She also reiterated her commitment in a final attempt to persuade the FIFA council on Wednesday.
The tournament, scheduled to begin on July 10, 2023, will be the first Women’s World Cup held in the southern hemisphere and will be played across eight stadiums in Australia and five in New Zealand. It will also be the first edition to feature 32 teams.
The successful bid promised an “unprecedented” level of investment following the breakthrough success of last year’s Women’s World Cup.
The tournament in France attracted record-breaking audiences and put women’s football at center stage.
