US, Mexico Submit Bid to Co-host 2027 Women's World Cup

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Final - Spain v England - Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia - August 20, 2023 General view of World Cup trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Final - Spain v England - Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia - August 20, 2023 General view of World Cup trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo
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US, Mexico Submit Bid to Co-host 2027 Women's World Cup

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Final - Spain v England - Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia - August 20, 2023 General view of World Cup trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Final - Spain v England - Stadium Australia, Sydney, Australia - August 20, 2023 General view of World Cup trophy on display before the match REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo

The United States and Mexico submitted a joint bid on Friday to co-host the 2027 women's World Cup that, if successful, would see the North American neighbors stage global soccer's two showcase events in back-to-back years.
Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands earlier on Friday put in a joint bid to be the 2027 hosts, while Brazil put forward their bid to world soccer governing body FIFA last month.
According to Reuters, US Soccer said in a statement that bringing the women's World Cup to North America would capitalize on a moment of extraordinary growth in women’s sports to deliver a tournament of unprecedented success.
The United States and Mexico, along with Canada, are set to co-host the 2026 men's World Cup but rather than viewing that as negative US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone described it as a huge plus.
"This is a pivotal time for women’s soccer," said Parlow Cone. "The US and Mexico are in a unique position to host a World Cup that will leverage the same venues, infrastructure, and protocols used for the Men’s World Cup just a year prior.
"This will not only unlock the economic potential of women’s soccer, it will send a message to young players around the world that there is no limit to what they can achieve."
Member associations had until Friday to submit their bids to FIFA. South Africa had also submitted a bid but withdrew last month, saying they felt it was better to present a "well-prepared bid" for the 2031 edition.
"Extensive and detailed consultations between the three federations along with key stakeholders including central governments dates back to 2021," the Dutch football federation (KNVB) said in a statement accompanying the European nations' bid.
"This has led to alignment around the belief that our three countries are well placed to stage a FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 of unparalleled quality and impact."
FIFA will organize on-site inspection visits to bidding countries in February before the hosts are appointed in May by the FIFA Congress.

The 2023 tournament was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand this year, with Spain beating England in the final.



Simona Halep Gets a Wild-card Entry for Australian Open Qualifying

FILE - Simona Halep, of Romania, returns a shot to Daria Snigur, of Ukraine, during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament, Aug. 29, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - Simona Halep, of Romania, returns a shot to Daria Snigur, of Ukraine, during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament, Aug. 29, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
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Simona Halep Gets a Wild-card Entry for Australian Open Qualifying

FILE - Simona Halep, of Romania, returns a shot to Daria Snigur, of Ukraine, during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament, Aug. 29, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
FILE - Simona Halep, of Romania, returns a shot to Daria Snigur, of Ukraine, during the first round of the US Open tennis tournament, Aug. 29, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep, working her way back from a drug suspension, and Hall of Famer Lleyton Hewitt's 16-year-old son Cruz were among the players awarded wild-card entries Wednesday for Australian Open qualifying next month, The Associated Press reported.
Halep, a 33-year-old from Romania, was the runner-up at Melbourne Park in 2018 and won major titles at the French Open later that year and at Wimbledon in 2019. She has been ranked as high as No. 1 but is currently 877th and hasn't played at any Grand Slam tournament since 2022 after missing all tournaments for 1 1/2 years because of a doping case.
Cruz Hewitt is ranked outside the top 1,000. His father, who won two major trophies and reached No. 1 in the rankings, made his Australian Open debut in 1997 at age 15 via a qualifying wild card. Lleyton Hewitt retired in 2016, was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021 and is currently Australia's Davis Cup captain.
Other men who got wild cards for the Jan. 6-9 qualifying event include 2023 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Chris Eubanks and former top 25 players Dan Evans and Bernard Tomic, while the women's group includes Paris Olympics doubles gold medalist and 2012 French Open singles runner-up Sara Errani and top 20 players Petra Martic and Ana Konjuh.
Main-draw action begins in Melbourne on Jan. 12.