Chicago has thrown its hat back into the global soccer hosting ring, submitting paperwork to U.S. Soccer for consideration as a host city for the 2031 Women's World Cup — eight years after the city famously walked away from hosting matches in the 2026 men's tournament. Soldier Field, with its 61,500-seat capacity, is again at the center of the pitch, even as questions swirl over whether the stadium's current tenant, the Chicago Bears, will even still be playing there by then.
A City Re-Enters the Race
The move comes as the 2031 Women's World Cup shapes up to be the biggest and richest edition in the tournament's history, expanding to 48 teams and 104 games, according to The Athletic. The United States is the lead partner in the sole bid for the tournament, joined by Mexico as the expected secondary host, along with Jamaica and Costa Rica. Most games are expected to be played on U.S. soil, and the bid book has projected roughly $4 billion in potential event revenue — about eight times what the 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand generated.
Portland has also submitted host-city paperwork, according to two bid sources cited by the outlet, and U.S. Soccer is processing both cities' applications before forwarding them to FIFA. All 27 cities already listed in the November 2025 bid book remain in contention alongside Chicago and Portland, joining other applicants including New York City and New Jersey, which submitted jointly, and Washington, D.C.
Soldier Field's Long Soccer Résumé
Chicago isn't exactly a stranger to the sport's biggest stages. Soldier Field hosted the opening ceremony and opening match of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, a Germany-Bolivia contest attended by President Bill Clinton with Oprah Winfrey serving as emcee, and the stadium ultimately hosted five matches that tournament, according to WTTW News. The venue also hosted group-stage matches during the 1999 Women's World Cup, including the U.S. Women's National Team's 7-1 rout of Nigeria in front of 65,080 fans on June 24 of that year, per the U.S. Soccer Federation. More recently, Soldier Field hosted Megan Rapinoe's final match with the national team in 2023.
FIFA officials are now weighing whether the expanded 2031 tournament will lean on large NFL-style stadiums like Soldier Field or mix in smaller, soccer-specific venues. That question carries extra weight in Chicago, where Chicago Fire FC is building a privately funded, $750 million, 22,000-seat stadium called McDonald's Park in The 78 riverfront development, set to open in 2028 as MLS's first stadium named for the fast-food giant, according to Chicago Fire FC.
Why Chicago Walked Away Before
The city's reversal stands in sharp contrast to 2018, when Chicago withdrew from bidding to host 2026 men's World Cup matches under then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel said at the time that FIFA sought a contractual right to direct Chicago to build a dome over Soldier Field, and he said he opposed exposing the city and its taxpayers to a $50 million to $100 million expense without a public vote. “Chicago taxpayers should not be treated as the dumb money at the table,” Emanuel said, per the same account relayed by The Athletic.
Kara Bachman, executive director of the Chicago Sports Commission, framed the renewed push differently, calling the 2031 tournament a great opportunity while pledging that the city will seek fair terms and good value for its residents. Chicago, per anonymous sources cited in the report, plans to pursue major sporting events going forward when they come on acceptable terms — a notably more cautious posture than the city's all-in approach for 1994. The city also counts women's sports advocates among its civic boosters, including Chicago Stars owner Laura Ricketts, whose NWSL club rebranded from the Chicago Red Stars in October 2024 amid a wave of local momentum behind women's professional soccer, as WTTW News reported at the time.
FIFA's Timeline and Lingering Friction
FIFA's council is set to meet in Zurich around the bid, intended to provide assurance that the body will approve the U.S.-led bid in November, with an announcement of the 2031 host nation penciled in for November 23. That date comes after FIFA delayed approval of the bid from a congress originally scheduled for April 30, reportedly because the Trump administration had not provided government guarantees on visas, taxes, safety and security, and reportedly sought to encourage FIFA to bar transgender athletes from professional women's soccer, according to The Athletic's reporting.
The renewed bidding also arrives amid broader tension between FIFA and prospective U.S. host cities. Twenty-one potential host cities signed a letter in June demanding significant concessions before committing to 2031 hosting agreements, though that letter was reportedly not sent directly to U.S. Soccer chief executive JT Batson. Cities have pushed back on FIFA's clean-stadium requirements, which call for removing title sponsors from venue exteriors, rooms and concourses — a mandate that cost some cities nearly $500,000 to comply with for the 2026 men's tournament. Host cities and venues are now seeking possible revenue shares from ticket and concession sales, along with caps on their financial obligations for official FIFA fan festivals.
That friction has echoed in other prospective host markets. A coalition of 30 labor and immigrant rights groups staged protests in Miami-Dade County in April demanding enforceable worker protections and living-wage standards from FIFA and local organizers, as Hoodline previously reported in coverage of Miami's labor pushback.
A Crowded Field of Suitors
Chicago is far from alone in chasing 2031 hosting rights. Orlando submitted formal bid documents this month proposing two venues, Camping World Stadium and Inter&Co Stadium, including five agreements addressing FIFA's venue and hotel standards, according to the Orlando Business Journal. Charlotte, meanwhile, was already part of the original bid book submitted in late 2025, proposing Bank of America Stadium for a tournament now projected to draw 4.5 million fans overall.
Chicago's bid also lands against a backdrop of uncertainty over Soldier Field's long-term future as the Bears' home. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said in October that state legislative proposals could give the Bears a choice between building a new stadium in Chicago or in Arlington Heights, as the franchise weighs options both inside and outside the city, according to Patch. Adding to the shifting landscape, U.S. Soccer officially relocated its national headquarters out of Chicago in May, opening a new $250 million training facility in Fayette County, Georgia, backed by a $50 million pledge from Atlanta United owner Arthur Blank — a move that leaves Chicago pressing its case as a premier soccer hub without the federation's offices in its backyard.
