City council gears up for women's football bid

The council has not said which stadium could host matches, but Villa Park could host Euro 2028

Birmingham City Council has said it is "incredibly excited" by its bid to be considered as one of the host cities for the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The football tournament is set to be held in the UK, after Fifa president Gianni Infantino confirmed the home nations had become the sole "valid" bidder for the event.

The council said it planned to show how "ready and enthusiastic" it was to play a role in the championship.

"Whilst we're proud to be considered as a potential host city, we fully respect that if the UK is successful in its bid to host the tournament, it will be FIFA who decides which host cities are selected," a council spokesman said.

He said: "The power of women's football to inspire communities, celebrate diversity, and create lasting legacies is something we're passionate about.

"For now, we're focused on showing how ready and enthusiastic we are to play our part in what could be a truly historic event."

'£190m economic boost'

The football associations' of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales collective bid to host the Women's World Cup will be discussed by Birmingham Council's cabinet next Monday.

The authority has not said which stadium could potentially host matches if Birmingham does end up being a host city, but Villa Park could host the Euro 2028 tournament.

An earlier council report said it was estimated the tournament would generate "almost £190m of socio-economic benefits for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands".

In April, FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "We are honoured to be the sole bidder for the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup.

"Hosting England's first FIFA World Cup since 1966, along with our home nations partners, will be very special."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.