Etihad Park proposed as possible 2031 Women's World Cup venue

Etihad Park, the first soccer-specific stadium in New York City and future Queens home of New York City FC set to open in 2027, is officially in the running to serve as a venue for the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup.

That's because FIFA today published the official proposal submitted by joint bidders the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica, the four North American nations teaming up with an eye toward splitting hosting duties for the 2031 Women's World Cup.

The bid book, which you can read in full here, includes 50 total venues that could host matches during the 2031 World Cup, and that long list includes NYCFC's in-progress new home in Willets Point, Queens.

Etihad Park (capacity: 25,000) isn't the only local stadium up to possibly play host in 2031, nor is it the leading local venue put forward by the bid.

The much-larger MetLife Stadium (capacity: 82,500) in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as well as Sports Illustrated Stadium (capacity: 26,000) in Harrison, New Jersey, were also listed as venue options on behalf of the always-ambiguous "New York/New Jersey" region, one of 14 proposed United States host cities for the tournament.

*The 14 potential United States host cities during the 2031 Women's World Cup.*

For the purposes of FIFA's formal evaluation process, it's only MetLife Stadium under consideration for New York/New Jersey. MetLife is one of 20 primary stadiums that the joint bidders put forth to fulfill the bidding requirements, but this four-country North American proposal is going above and beyond by proposing an additional 30 possible stadiums, including the shiny new one opening in 2027 in The Valley of Ashes.

According to the submitted North American bid, "By proposing more than the required 20 sites, the joint bidders demonstrate a commitment to securing the best possible hosting conditions and ensuring the tournament represents the full diversity of our region on a global scale."

This gives FIFA flexibility to pick and choose between mega-sized NFL stadiums with huge capacities, and more intimate soccer-specific venues like the new MLS stadium in Queens, or like the only stadium in America purpose-built for women's soccer, CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, home to KC Current of the NWSL.

It's hard to imagine MetLife Stadium being pushed aside in favor of either smaller local venue, Etihad Park or Sports Illustrated Stadium, but it's at least now an option in front of FIFA, if they think a change is needed, or if they'd prefer to visit NFL-sized stadiums in other parts of the country after MetLife did lots of hosting during the FIFA Club World Cup and during the men's 2026 World Cup.

There are no other competing bids from other countries trying to host the 2031 women's tournament, so it's all but a formality that yet another World Cup will be heading to American shores, and only five years after the United States, Mexico, and Canada host the 2026 men's World Cup next summer.

It's still totally uncertain how the venue selection process shakes out for 2031, but Etihad Park is officially a part of that process, which shouldn't come as a surprise if you've heard New York City FC president and CEO Brad Sims discuss the club's plans for hosting women's soccer at the Queens soccer stadium once it opens.

"For us, however we can host top-flight women's soccer at Etihad Park, we're exploring all those options," Sims told the NYCFC press during a media availability he held in September. Sims in that same availability also made a reference to hosting watch parties at Etihad Park for "Women's World Cup games that aren't at our stadium," hinting that the Queens venue is seriously pushing for a bite of the proverbial 2031 World Cup apple.

It's not just the NYCFC stadium included as part of the bid for the 2031 World Cup, as the Etihad City Football Academy in Orangeburg, New York, training ground of NYCFC, is also included for consideration and for possible use during the Women's World Cup. New York City FC wants a piece of this upcoming 2031 World Cup, and now we'll wait (for a few years) to see if they get to play a concrete role in the tournament.

The fact that the bid included a bunch of extra stadium options sure made for an interesting mix of possible venues, with one totally hypothetical, nonexistent stadium included (Indianapolis Prof. Soccer Stadium), plus a baseball stadium that hosts no soccer to speak of (Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants) also among the candidates.

Here's the full list of all the possible cities and venues under consideration for playing host during the 2031 Women's World Cup, with the 20 stadiums included in the formal bid evaluation process bolded:

United States

Atlanta, GA
Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Baltimore, MD
M&T Bank Stadium

Birmingham, AL
Protective Stadium

Boston, MA
Gillette Stadium

Charlotte, NC
Bank of America Stadium

Cincinnati, OH
TQL Stadium

Cleveland / Columbus, OH
Huntington Bank Field
Lower.com Field

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
AT&T Stadium
Toyota Stadium

Denver, CO
Empower Field at Mile High

Houston, TX
NRG Stadium
Shell Energy Stadium

Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Prof. Soccer Stadium

Kansas City, MO
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
CPKC Stadium

Los Angeles, CA
SoFi Stadium
LA Memorial Coliseum
Rose Bowl
Dignity Health Sports Park

Miami, FL
Chase Stadium

Minneapolis, MN
U.S. Bank Stadium

Nashville, TN
Nissan Stadium
Geodis Park

New York / New Jersey
MetLife Stadium
Sports Illustrated Stadium
Etihad Park

Orlando, FL
Camping World Stadium
Inter & Co Stadium

Philadelphia, PA
Lincoln Financial Field

Phoenix, AZ
State Farm Stadium

Salt Lake City, UT
America First Field

San Diego, CA
Snapdragon Stadium

San Francisco / Bay Area, CA
Levi’s Stadium
Oracle Park

Seattle, WA
Lumen Field

St. Louis, MO
Energizer Park

Tampa Bay, FL
Raymond James Stadium

Washington, DC
Robert F. Kennedy Stadium
Audi Field

Mexico