Busy Days Ahead

Last week, FIFA confirmed the hosts for the 2031 and 2035 Women's World Cups.  The 2035 edition will be hosted by Great Britain (I'm saying "Great Britain" since the entire UK will be involved).  The 2031 tournament, meanwhile, will be in the United States.  Adding another tournament to a loaded calendar of major international sporting events being held in the United States over the next decade.

In fact, 2031 alone will be very busy with major international sporting events in the United States.  The U.S. was already set to host the Rugby World Cup for the first time that year.  There have been some questions about the timing of the Rugby World Cup, which is typically held in September/October, but will also presumably want to use NFL stadiums that will obviously be in use at that time.  However, with the Women's World Cup now set for June/July of the same year, I guess that answers the question about when in the year the Rugby World Cup will take place.

Now the question becomes which cities will host both.  More importantly, which stadiums will host both.  I suppose they could probably get away with using the smaller venue for the early rounds in one or both tournaments (Red Bull Arena instead of MetLife Stadium, whatever they're calling the StubHub Center now instead of SoFi Stadium, FC Dallas' stadium instead of Jerry's World are just three examples), but you know they'll obviously want to use the NFL stadiums for the knockout rounds.  And how will the NFL teams feel about their stadiums potentially being used for two major international tournaments a few months apart?

It's also worth noting that in 2031, the Women's World Cup will be expanded to 48 teams.  Whether that's too many is an entirely different debate.  The point is it'll be just like next year's Men's World Cup with 108 games.  Whether Mexico and/or Canada steps in to co-host, that's a lot of games that'll be in the U.S.  And the Rugby World Cup, while only 24 teams and 52 games, will still use probably 7-8 stadiums.

The Summer/Fall of 2031 really is just the tip of the iceberg, though.  Between now and 2034, the United States will host both the Summer and Winter Olympics, both the Men's and Women's FIFA World Cups and both the men's and women's Rugby World Cups.  That's six major international events on American soil in a nine-year period!

Next summer, of course, it all starts with the men's FIFA World Cup.  The U.S. is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, but will be the primary host country, with 78 of the 108 games being played in the United States.  And the year 2026 is obviously the nation's 250th birthday, so hosting the World Cup is an appropriate celebration.

Then in 2027, the U.S. takes a year off from international hosting.  But in 2028, it's the biggest event of them all.  The Olympics return to Los Angeles for the third time and the U.S. for the first time in 32 years.  The two biggest sporting events on the planet two years apart.  And that's just the warmup!  Because there'll be four more on tap from 2031-34.

We've already gone over how busy 2031 will be with both the Women's World Cup and Rugby World Cup.  The 2031 Rugby World Cup was part of a package deal, though.  The United States will also be the host country for the 2033 Women's Rugby World Cup.  That's the smallest of the six events (only 16 teams), as well as the least prestigious, which makes it the most likely to be overlooked.  However, it's still a major international event that'll be in the United States during that span.

That run of international hosting will end in February 2034, when the Winter Olympics are in Salt Lake City for the second time.  Just like when they hosted in 2002, it'll be only six years after the Summer Olympics were also in the U.S.  That's about the only similarity the 2034 Olympics will have with the 2002 Olympics.  The Winter Olympics have grown so much (both in terms of stature and the number of events) since the last time Salt Lake City hosted.  More importantly, this time it's the finale of an incredibly busy stretch for the United States.  In 2002, that wasn't the case.  Only the transcendent 1999 Women's World Cup was between the two Olympics.

For an American fan of international sports, especially someone who lives in or near a major city that'll likely be chosen as one of the sites, it really is a dream scenario.  European countries have had similar runs, but some of those were continental events.  As far as I can tell, no country has ever hosted so many major global events in such a short span--let alone two in the same year!

Of all the countries in the world, though, the United States is one of the few that's capable of pulling off such a feat.  Hosting major international events is a massive undertaking.  And a costly one.  So many countries are hesitant or unable to make that financial commitment, which is why so many sporting organizations have had trouble finding hosts in recent years.  So, to have a nation (especially a nation like the United States) be willing to step up to the plate so many times in such a short span is huge.

Will the interest level in all six events be the same?  Of course not!  It's pretty much a guarantee that people will care about the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, and the 2031 Women's World Cup will probably draw pretty well because of the U.S. women's team's success and popularity.  And the 2034 Olympics will still be an Olympics, but, thanks to the NFL schedule, will have the Super Bowl fall right smack in the middle of them.

I'm curious to see how well the two Rugby World Cups will do, though.  I can only speak for myself here, but I'm psyched for the 2031 Rugby World Cup!  It now seems likely that it'll take place during football season, though, which could definitely have an impact.  I don't see how it can't.  I do think there will still be the curiosity factor, and I'm sure people will want to see teams like the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies live.  But it won't have nearly the appeal it would have if it were being played in the Summer.  Especially now that the Women's World Cup will also be in the U.S. that year.

Regardless of how much fan interest they generate at home, it's a big deal that all of these major events will be in the United States.  For the two Rugby World Cups it'll be the first time ever, too.  Which just goes to show how much of an important destination the United States has become.  The U.S. is about to be the sports capital of the world.  And the world will keep coming to America for the next decade.