U.S. Soccer submits bid book as U.S. preps for travel tourism boost through upcoming tournaments

The GIST: In its joint bid for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC), U.S. Soccer — which plans to host alongside Mexico, Jamaica, and Costa Rica — submitted its bid book for the tournament, with the overwhelming majority of proposed venues spanning U.S. cities.

• With so many sites spanning the U.S., the bid illustrates how the country is doubling down on hosting summer tournaments — and how brands can benefit from these tourneys amid a surging travel tourism market, especially for women’s sports.

The economic boost: The 2031 WWC benefits from quite the tournament runway: The U.S. is already prepping to co-host the 2026 men’s World Cup (WC) and LA28. In 2026, the U.S. is hosting 75% of WC matches, which are expected to bring 1.24M international visitors.

• Despite the multi-city spread, foreign fans are expected to attend two matches on average, and specific cities hosting a majority of final stage matches (NYC, Dallas, and Miami) are banking on hotel revenue surges of up to 7%.

• While the WWC isn’t the financial juggernaut the WC is yet, Australia enjoyed an $867.5M economic impact from hosting in 2023. Since then, women’s soccer has exploded in global popularity as women’s sports fans power travel tourism. That said, U.S. foreign and domestic policy under the Trump administration has hedged estimates.

The brand ROI: The 2026 WC could reach 6B globally and the rising contingent of soccer-loving Americans. The tournament is also slated to have increased reach to U.S. multicultural communities as well as those who are digitally tuned in, signaling an opportunity for tech companies. It doesn’t hurt that brands in the 2023 WWC saw boosted brand consideration among American fans.

• In its bid book, U.S. Soccer predicts the 2031 WWC will attract over 4.5M fans across all four countries and generate the highest-ever viewership for a women’s sports event, allowing them to haul over $4B in total revenue.

Looking ahead: Even though the U.S. is sharing bids with other countries, its ability to accommodate across its billion-dollar sports stadiums means the nation is tasked with hosting the majority of matches in both upcoming tournaments.

• While American and Mexican brands will benefit from the multi-year lead-up, it’s a tough break that Canada wasn’t consulted on the initial bid originally pitched for 2027 — a missed opportunity considering the synergy between American and Canadian audiences. Dommage.