JFF confident of co-hosting 2031 Women’s World Cup

KINGSTON, Jamaica – President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Michael Ricketts strongly believes the country will be awarded the rights to co-host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Last October, Jamaica along with the USA, Mexico, and Costa Rica launched a joint bid to host the 2031 tournament.

While an official announcement from FIFA is expected in November, Ricketts said he was confident Jamaica’s bid would be successful.

Last month, Sports Minister Olivia Grange told Parliament the island had been selected as one of the hosts, although FIFA has yet to officially confirm the successful bid.

Hosts were initially expected to be confirmed at the FIFA Congress in Canada in April, but the world governing body postponed the announcement until November 23.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Ricketts said he was optimistic Jamaica would create history by being chosen.

“When the FIFA team came here, we had intense discussions with the contractors who would be doing the renovation and the refurbishing of the National Stadium, and they would have done a presentation which, based on the body language from the FIFA reps, we’re pretty satisfied and pretty confident that we will be in a position to host the Women’s World Cup in 2031.

“Minister Grange did make an announcement in Parliament. She was pretty confident and so am I, and I want to believe that we will be one of the four countries that will be hosting the 2031 Women’s World Cup,” Ricketts said.

A FIFA delegation visited the island in February, inspecting facilities including the National Stadium and meeting with JFF representatives and the Government.

The redevelopment of the National Stadium, which is intended to meet FIFA standards, is expected to begin in July or August 2027, with United Kingdom-based Ryder Architecture and global consulting firm CAA Icon currently completing the detailed design phase, after the feasibility study and concept design.

Jamaica has never hosted a FIFA tournament, but it has staged several Concacaf competitions, most notably the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup, becoming the first Caribbean nation to do so.

(CMC)