April 18 – FIFA has opened the bidding process for five competitions in 2016 and 2017, including the U-17 Women’s World Cup 2016, U-20 Women’s World Cup 2016, U-17 World Cup 2017, U-20 World Cup 2017 and Beach Soccer World Cup 2017.
Bids are invited from all 209 member associations who should submit a declaration of interest by 15 May 2013. The deadline to provide the hosting agreement with the complete Bid Book is 15 November 2013, with the final decision on the hosts currently scheduled to take place at the FIFA Executive Committee meeting in December 2013.
The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup was first held in New Zealand in 2008 and last held in Azerbaijan in 2012 where local companies came on board to make it a commercial success. France are the current champions.
In 2010 the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany achieved an attendance record of 395,295 spectators and an average global in-home audience per live match of 2.8 million, with the USA winning the final against the host by a single goal.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup is bi-annual teenage tournament featuring 24 teams. Current holders are Mexico who won as hosts in 2011.
FIFA U-20 World Cup also features 24 teams, and the 2011 edition, hosted by Colombia and won by Brazil, enjoyed a worldwide cumulative TV audience of over 500 million.
FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup is bi-annual, and sixteen teams will participate in the final competition. Russia are the current champions having won in Ravenna, Italy in 2011. Bidders for the 2015 edition include Brazil, Bulgaria, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Hungary, Mauritius, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, Switzerland and Thailand.
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