France hosts 2019 women’s World Cup

FRANCE will host the Women’s World Cup for the first time in 2019, Fifa has announced.

Football’s governing body also revealed that France had beaten off competition from South Korea to host the 2018 under-20 women’s tournament.

Five countries had originally declared an interest in staging both events but only France and South Korea remained in the final vote after England, New Zealand and South Africa dropped out of the running last year.

The seventh women’s World Cup will take place in Canada this summer and the French are among the favourites for the title.

Japan are the current world champions and were the first team from outside Europe and North America to lift the trophy. The six tournaments so far have had four different winners: Germany (twice), Japan, Norway and the USA (twice).

Preparations are already under way in France for the men’s 2016 European Championships, with rugby’s Top 14 final already moved to Barcelona’s Nou Camp as Stade de France, its usual home, will be in use for the international football tournament.

Last year, France hosted the women’s Rugby World Cup, and Paris is considering whether to bid for the 2024 Olympics.

Photo: Helgi Halldórsson