Canadian Women - Japan Withdraws 2023 WC Bid

One place the Canadian WNT won’t be heading to for the next Women’s World Cup in 2023 is Japan.

The Asian nation has withdrawn its bid boosting the likelihood of a ‘Down Under’ joint-hosting between Australia and New Zealand.

There are three days before the vote takes place and the Japanese will now throw their support behind the Trans-Tasman bid, which earlier this month FIFA, football’s global governing body, rated the best with Japan second.

The other candidate left in the ring is Colombia.

Japan won the 2011 Women’s World Cup defeating favourites USA in the final. The JFA has never hosted the women’s event but did jointly stage the men’s edition in 2002 along with South Korea.

The 2019 tournament in tournament in which the USA regained the world crown, broke television records and was considered the most high-profile tournament to date.

JFA chairman Kozo Tashima did not rule out another bid in the future.

“We have shown how we could host the tournament in Japan in our bid, so I don’t think our efforts were in vain.”

After the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the JFA felt it unlikely one country would be awarded two major women’s football tournaments back-to-back.

Canada’s best-ever showing at a Women’s World Cup was fourth place in the USA in 2003, when they lost a semi-final to Sweden. They have won 8 of their finals games to date with 14 lost and 5 draws.