Japan emerge as potential hosts in a crowded competing pool for FIFA Women’s World Cup that will be held in 2031.
Japan wants to host the Women’s World Cup in 2031 to ignite the domestic game. Another reason is that Japan wants to strengthen their level of football along the lines pf Europe and North America.
In recent years, women’s football has flourished in Europe, and although Japan won the competition in 2011, they have since been surpassed.
In front of a huge picture of Japan’s World Cup-winning squad, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, president of the Japan Football Association, stated this during an interview at the organization’s Tokyo offices. “We would like to raise the value of women’s football here.”
When Japan co-hosted the World Cup with South Korea in 2002, Miyamoto was captain of the men’s team. The tournament helped ignite a significant interest in football among the Japanese public.
His aspirations for the 2031 Women’s World Cup are identical to those of the 47-year-old who took over as JFA chief this year. The event has never been held in the nation.
Although the United States and Mexico are anticipated to submit a united bid, Japan is likely to face fierce competition for the hosting rights. There are also reports of interest from China and England.
“We have the WE League, and it has been struggling to gather an audience,” Miyamoto said.
“We would like to increase the number of women players here.”
Since its start in 2021, the professional women’s WE League has not been able to match the money and attendance of women’s leagues in the US and Europe.
Since losing to the United States in the 2015 final, Japan’s women’s team has not advanced past the World Cup quarterfinals.
Japan “could have done better,” according to Miyamoto, to capitalise on the 2011 victory, which sparked intense interest in women’s football before it swiftly died down.
The former defender, who claims that his time with Red Bull Salzburg of Austria “inspired me a lot,” wants Japan to cultivate a more fervent football culture overall.
“They have their own culture, they have football in their daily lives,” he said.
“We haven’t built that kind of community here in Japan. I’d like to make football our culture in Japan.”