The United States and Mexico have withdrawn their joint bid to host the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup. The two nations will instead focus on securing the 2031 edition, their national governing bodies said on Monday. The decision comes just weeks before the Fifa Congress chooses the tournament hosts on 17 May. It leaves Brazil and a joint bid from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands as the remaining candidates to host the 2027 event. “Hosting a World Cup tournament is a huge undertaking – and having additional time to prepare allows us to maximise its impact across the globe,” the US Soccer president, Cindy Parlow Cone, said in a joint statement. Ivar Sisniega, president of the Mexican football federation, said: “We are fully committed to organising a memorable and historic Women’s World Cup that the players and fans will benefit from.” Last November, South Africa also withdrew their bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup and said they would instead focus on the 2031 tournament. Australia and New Zealand held the 2023 women’s World Cup finals, which was won by Spain. The US, Mexico and Canada will co-host the men’s World Cup in 2026. The United States has not hosted the women’s event since 2003, with Canada hosting in 2015.