Birmingham confirmed as proposed host city for Women’s Football World Cup 2035

The city council has been working with both Aston Villa and Birmingham City to try and ensure the city plays a role in the huge sporting event.

The UK’s bid to host the tournament features 16 host cities, including Birmingham, and 22 stadiums across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

If the bid is successful, the council says the World Cup would bring thousands of visitors to Birmingham, a boost to the the local economy, jobs and volunteering opportunities for citizens.

Initial assessments suggest a £65million socio-economic benefit to the city with 300,000 visitors excepted, the local authority adds.

Coun Sharon Thompson, deputy leader of Birmingham Council, said the city has a “proven track record of successful selection for and delivery of mega sporting events”.

“We are delighted to be part of the UK’s bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 and to have the opportunity to showcase our Brummie warmth and hospitality to the world,” she said.

“If chosen, we will work hard to realise the opportunities this present for our residents, communities and businesses.

“Sitting at the heart of the UK, with excellent transport links and with two stadium options, the historic Villa Park and The Powerhouse, BCFC’s recently revealed new stadium, Birmingham has a very strong proposition for FIFA to consider.”

If the bid is successful, FIFA will make the final selection of the stadia that will be part of the tournament.

The council says the World Cup will be the the biggest single-sport event in UK history.

It adds that if chosen, Birmingham and the West Midlands will have another unique opportunity to use a “mega sporting event” to drive economic growth and strengthen grassroots girls’ and women’s football provision.

Coun Majid Mahmood, cabinet member at the council, said at a meeting last month that the tournament was a “chance to showcase Birmingham as a confident, capable and world-class destination for major sporting events”.

“Hosting the Women’s World Cup will […] highlight the investment made in our city, especially around our transport infrastructure,” he continued.

“The event will have a sustainable transport plan in place and we will set a target of 80 per cent of fans to travel by public transport.”

As well as the possibility of the Women’s World Cup, Birmingham already has the European Athletics Championships, the Invictus Games and the 2028 Men’s Euros lined up over the next three years.

What lessons will be learnt from the 2022 Commonwealth Games?

The Commonwealth Games in Birmingham were a success in many ways, creating jobs and contributing £1.2 billion to the UK economy.

But an alarming report this year revealed some worrying findings over the major athletes village project, which a former council leader claimed would help rejuvenate Perry Barr and create a “meaningful legacy” back in 2018.

It confirmed the project had resulted in a “significant financial loss to the council”, the costs of which will be “borne over future years”.

“As this bid progresses, we are applying lessons learnt from the Commonwealth Games and other major events hosted across the city,” Coun Thompson said last month.

“We’re looking to make sure there’s strong oversight and management, financial discipline and minimal burden on the public purse.”

Coun Thompson also said earlier this year that the council is being transformed and its governance process are being strengthened “to ensure members get the best professional advice, ensuring these mistakes [of the Perry Barr scheme] are not repeated”.

Coun Karen McCarthy, the cabinet member overseeing finance, added at a recent meeting: “We’re ten years out, we need to be careful over the whole of those ten years that we are not at any point dazzled by the excitement of the Women’s World Cup.

“We have to keep our feet on the ground and focus on everything else we need to do while making this an exemplar of a world sporting event.”