GBA cities could bid to co-host 2031 FIFA Women’s tournament

Hong Kong, Macau, and cities in the GBA should jointly bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2031, Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, a delegate from Hong Kong to the National People’s Congress (NPC), has suggested.

Fok emphasized the existing facilities in the region and pointed out that Saudi Arabia’s bid for the 2034 men’s tournament made a joint bid more feasible.

Fok submitted a document to the NPC, stating that the rotation policy of FIFA makes it less likely for the men’s World Cup to return to Asia.

He highlighted that the Greater Bay Area, with its Kai Tak Sports Park and Guangzhou Nansha Urban Sports Complex, which will be used for the National Games in 2025, already possesses sufficient facilities to meet the requirements of the Women’s World Cup.

Fok expressed confidence in the coordination and communication mechanism established by the governments of the three regions.

“With the Greater Bay Area co-hosting the National Games in 2025, we have enough facilities in Kai Tak Sports Park and Guangzhou Nansha Urban Sports Complex to meet the needs of the competition,” he wrote.

Pui Kwan-kay, the president of the Hong Kong Football Association, confirmed that preliminary discussions had taken place with Sun Wen, vice-chairman of the Chinese Football Association, regarding the joint bid. While Kai Tak and the 60,000-seat sport stadium in Nansha meet FIFA’s requirements, Macau’s Olympic Sports Centre would likely need upgrades.

Fok also proposed the establishment of a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Sports Bay Area and compared its potential to sports hubs like New York, San Francisco and Tokyo.

He mentioned the region’s abundant sports resources, including the long-standing Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup and the Macau Grand Prix. Fok further noted that 68 arenas in the area were undergoing upgrades, adding to the excellent sports infrastructure in Kai Tak and Nansha.