FIFA to make public the vote for 2023 Women’s World Cup

AP/UNB

17 March, 2019, 12:06

Update: 17 March, 2019, 12:06

In this July 5, 2015, file photo, the United States Women’s National Team celebrates with the trophy after they defeated Japan 5-2 in the FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. People with knowledge of FIFA’s finances told The Associated Press that in the four-year period covering the 2018 World Cup, FIFA’s reserves soared to $2.74 billion and revenue rose to $6.4 billion, but it also underscores the glaring disparity between men and women’s soccer. Photo: AP

Miami: FIFA has agreed to make public its vote on the host for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The organization’s decision-making body is becoming more transparent after concerns were raised last month that the women’s tournament wouldn’t fully follow the new voting process for the men’s World Cup.

The United States, Canada and Mexico were chosen last year to host the 2026 World Cup. The votes by the FIFA Congress of all member associations were published. Previously, the decisions were taken in private by the scandal-discredited FIFA executive committee, which was renamed the FIFA Council in 2016.

But FIFA announced last month that its 37-person council would still decide on the destination of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, with no mention of votes being publicly declared.

Now, FIFA has said following a meeting in Miami that after the council makes its decision in March 2020, the “result of each ballot and related votes of each member” will be “open and made public.”

It could be the most hotly contested bidding process for the tournament, which was first staged in 1991. Australia, Colombia, Japan and South Africa have been exploring bids. South Korea submitted a proposal to North Korea to jointly bid.

FIFA asked countries interested in bidding to do so by Friday, but it has yet to disclose who made submissions. Bidders have until April 16 to complete their bidding registrations, and bid books must be submitted by Oct. 4.