​The United States has been one of the three host nations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which recently concluded with the final on Sunday afternoon between Spain and Argentina. Looking ahead, the United States has its eyes on hosting another FIFA event—the FIFA Women’s World Cup—but it appears that President Donald Trump is pressing FIFA to meet a condition before the hosting announcement is finalized. A senior official in the Trump administration said that FIFA has already told Trump that the United States will host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, though the president reportedly has a stipulation he wants FIFA to adopt before making any formal commitment: a ban on transgender athletes.
According to Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup Task Force, the information from FIFA to Trump about hosting the 2031 Women’s World Cup is definitive. In a Politico interview, Giuliani stated, “I know they’ve already told the president that the U.S. is going to get the World Cup in 2031, and that really should be fantastic.” He noted that the event would likely be staged in different American host cities compared with the current men’s World Cup, saying, “I think it’s going to look a little different than this one. I think it’s going to be amazing. Probably some different cities involved.”
Giuliani also expressed personal enthusiasm about the prospect of witnessing the world’s top women players compete on American soil, sharing that he looks forward to taking his daughter to matches as a fan. He said, “It would be fantastic to see the top women in the world come to the United States and as a fan be able to take her to a match.” While there is broad expectation that the United States will host the 2031 Women’s World Cup, FIFA has not officially announced the host nation. The current bid from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica remains the sole formal candidate.
However, a significant hurdle remains in these discussions: FIFA’s policy on transgender athletes. Giuliani indicated that Trump has insisted the policy align more closely with U.S. administration positions that seek to restrict transgender participation in sports. He emphasized, “It is important that the Women’s World Cup does not violate the policy of the United States of America in that it is important that women play in the Women’s World Cup and not biological men.” He referred to this as a critical component of ongoing talks with FIFA, calling it “really key” to advancing discussions toward a government guarantee. “If that policy is in place, then I’m sure that discussions will progress pretty fast on this one,” he said.
The potential linkage between the U.S. government’s policy stance and FIFA negotiations underscores how political considerations can influence the bidding process and the timeline for confirming a host nation. As the conversations continue, officials say they expect a clearer pathway once FIFA’s own policy framework is aligned with the prerequisites being set forth by the administration. For now, the dominant narrative remains that the United States is favored to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup, pending formal confirmation and the resolution of this policy alignment, which would clear a major obstacle to finalizing a government-backed guarantee and moving the process toward a formal, public announcement.