The 2031 Women’s World Cup is heading to the U.S., and Jill Ellis hopes it comes to Philadelphia

As the soccer world focuses on this year’s men’s FIFA Club World Cup and next year’s men’s World Cup in America, the women’s game already has its sights set toward the horizon.

FIFA’s recent announcement that the United States is the sole bidder to host the 2031 Women’s World Cup all but guarantees the tournament will come here. It won’t be official until next year, but the wheels are already in motion.

That means the race for cities to host is already starting, and Philadelphia is on notice. Lincoln Financial Field was a venue the last time the tournament came here, in 2003, and a lot of people would like it to be again.

Jill Ellis is one of those people, and her voice counts. The two-time World Cup-winning U.S. women’s soccer team manager is now FIFA’s chief football officer, and back in the day, she brought the U.S. program to town often.

There were games at Subaru Park five times in her tenure, and a memorable visit to Lincoln Financial Field after the 2019 World Cup that drew over 49,000 fans. That attendance still stands as the largest ever for a U.S. women’s standalone friendly (as in, not part of a doubleheader).

“Let’s hope Philly gets a shot at being a host venue for the Women’s World Cup,” Ellis said while in town on Thursday with FIFA’s publicity tour for this summer’s men’s Club World Cup.

“On a personal level, I love Philly,” she said. “It’s an amazing sports town. I think to bring football of this caliber here, it’s fantastic.”

» READ MORE: FIFA president Gianni Infantino visits Philadelphia for the first time, and likes what he sees

Her opinion of the city, and in particular the stadium, is shared by many people across American soccer. But it will be a while before we know where Philadelphia stands in the 2031 pecking order. Not only will there be a lot of competition, but FIFA is seriously considering expanding the tournament field to 48 teams – a move U.S. Soccer Federation CEO JT Batson has publicly backed.

That is likely to lead the U.S. to bring on other regional nations as co-hosts. There’s been speculation about Caribbean and Central American nations in particular, though it seems a previous plan to have Mexico involved has been shelved for now.

Ellis backs the idea of expansion to 48.

“I think by ‘31, I do think it will be ready, and this is a country that can host it,” she said.

Whether or not it happens, she has no doubt about what the impact would be of bringing the tournament back here.

“Every time there’s a massive event, you see growth,” she said. “And we are such a big country that to look at another platform to now accelerate the growth and the attention on the sport, and continue to grow this sport in this country, is something I’m very passionate about. So, yeah, the potential for it to be here in ‘31 – I think it’s ready.”

» READ MORE: Women’s sports bars are popping up across the U.S. A group is fundraising to open one in Philly.

It bears saying that Ellis’s reputation is not pristine. In between her U.S. and FIFA tenures, she was president of the NWSL’s San Diego Wave, and last July, a former club employee publicly accused Ellis of “a pattern of abusive behavior.” Ellis later sued that employee, and the matter has not yet been resolved. The case has not yet affected Ellis’s work with FIFA.

From the Eagles’ side of things, chief operating officer Frank Gumienny signaled that the team is interested in being on board.

“We’re a part of that, and I think we’ll continue to be a part of it,” he said. “I think it’s very preliminary right now.”

He is naturally focused on this summer and next summer’s tournaments right now. But he knows that going well in those events will further improve the city’s standing with FIFA.

“My goal here at the Eagles is to make sure that everyone leaves saying, ‘That was an amazing experience,’ from the participating teams to FIFA themselves,” Gumienny said. “So, even an event like today, we try to take care of President [Gianni] Infantino really well, so that when he leaves, and at some point when they’re like, ‘Hey, we’re going to bring a World Cup or whatever back here,’ that they’re like, ‘Of course, we have to go to Philadelphia.‘”

» READ MORE: FIFA plans to donate $1 million to grow soccer in Philadelphia

It might also help the city’s standing with U.S. Soccer if the Eagles would help bring a national team game back to the Linc. Neither the men nor the women have played in the stadium since 2019. Though the men’s team’s players from around here are more vocal about it, the women’s team has long been popular in the region, and a game here would draw fans from across the Northeast corridor.

Gumienny knows well how close the U.S. men came to hosting England here in June, a game that would have easily sold out the building. Unfortunately, it was contingent on the Three Lions’ World Cup qualifying draw, and when it came down, it took over the agreed-upon date.

“We have constant conversations with U.S. Soccer, Soccer United Marketing [MLS’s marketing arm], different promoters that are looking to bring [games],” Gumienny said. “I feel like Jeffrey [Lurie] hired me [so] one of my jobs here is to bring the best and biggest events to Lincoln Financial Field. So we’re always on on the prowl if you will, looking to uncover what we can bring, what amazing events we can bring here.”

He alluded to other recent national team games at the stadium, Argentina-El Salvador in March of last year and Mexico-Germany in October 2023. And he hinted that there are more to come, though he didn’t name names.

“We had some international teams visiting here recently that come over, that want to see our facility, that want to see the NovaCare complex, that want to see the stadium,” he said. “And I think they love to come to the passionate city of Philadelphia. … Those conversations are continuing, and I’m hoping that there’s a few more soccer matches that get announced very soon.”

» READ MORE: Emma Hayes’ goals for the USWNT’s next few years go far beyond winning games