Manchester United have described the chance to stage the Women's World Cup in 2035 as a "brilliant opportunity." United and the city region have been positioned with the goal of securing major fixtures at the tournament for the stadium, including the final. The Red Devils pulled Old Trafford from the roster of venues for the men's European Championship in 2028 due to uncertainty over its future and an inability to guarantee hosting commitments.
Nevertheless, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has targeted the 2030/31 season for United's relocation to the new 100,000-capacity Old Trafford. They have expressed enthusiasm for staging women's World Cup matches in 2035 and the stadium has now been formally included in the United Kingdom's proposal to host the tournament.
The combined bid from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the 2035 World Cup presently faces no competition, suggesting it could receive approval through a FIFA congress vote in 2026.
Collette Roche, United's chief operating officer, remarked: "We are proud to be part of the rich sporting and cultural fabric of Trafford, and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2035 is a brilliant opportunity for us to showcase our home to the rest of the world.
"Our ambition is to build a new 100,000-seater stadium fit to host the biggest international football games. This will be part of a wider regeneration of the area around Old Trafford, with far-reaching benefits for the local community, Greater Manchester and surrounding region.
"We also want to be a leader in the growth of women's football, in our own neighbourhood and around the world. All these objectives come together in Trafford's bid to be a host city for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2035, and we are looking forward to working with our partners in making this incredibly exciting vision a reality."
Councillor Eve Parker, Trafford Council's executive member for leisure, arts, culture and heritage, declared: "The Women's World Cup 2035 is a huge event and is expected to be the largest single-sport event to ever be held in the UK.
"Trafford is home to two massive sporting institutions – Manchester United's Old Trafford and Lancashire Cricket Club - and we are used to hosting major events.
"There are huge benefits associated with being a host city for this event, including promoting Trafford on a world stage to millions and millions of people.
"The council will work with FIFA and our local partners, including Manchester United, to help bring this major event to the borough."
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, declared earlier this month: "It's a major growth project for the whole of the north west.
"The enticing prospect in my mind is if we really get it moving, I think there's a fairly high likelihood that we will be hosting the Women's World Cup in 2035. Imagine a final at that new Old Trafford. It would be quite something, wouldn't it?"
The design of the new stadium has been put on hold while negotiations continue over the acquisition of land. The rail yard around Old Trafford, owned by Freightliner, is vital to the plans.
United are hopeful of striking a deal to secure the land for the new stadium project.