Jamaica remains confident of securing a place among the host nations for the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup despite concerns raised by FIFA over the country’s readiness to stage matches.

Jamaica Football Federation President Michael Ricketts said he believes the country’s preparations and commitment have positioned it favourably ahead of FIFA’s final decision, which is expected to be announced on November 23.

The island joined the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica in October last year to launch a joint bid for the tournament. If successful, it would be the first FIFA World Cup to be hosted across four countries.

A FIFA delegation visited Jamaica in February to inspect facilities, including the National Stadium, and to meet representatives of the Jamaica Football Federation and the Government. Although host nations were initially expected to be confirmed during the FIFA Congress in Canada in April, the governing body postponed the announcement until November.

Sports Minister Olivia Grange told Parliament last month that Jamaica had been selected as one of the host countries, but FIFA has not officially confirmed the successful bid.

FIFA consultant and Women’s Football Division adviser Jose Andres Portabella said the organisation welcomed the prospect of bringing the tournament to Jamaica but stressed that important work remains.

“I couldn’t be more excited about the possibility of the World Cup coming to Jamaica in 2031,” Portabella said. He added that infrastructure would play a decisive role in the evaluation process, noting, “There’s a lot of work to be done. The infrastructure is a key component of hosting the Women’s World Cup.”

The United States and Mexico are widely regarded as strong candidates because of their established sporting infrastructure, while Costa Rica has previous experience hosting FIFA competitions, including the 2022 Under 20 Women’s World Cup. Jamaica has never staged a FIFA tournament, although it became the first Caribbean nation to host the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2019.

Ricketts said discussions held during the FIFA inspection left him encouraged, particularly after contractors presented plans for the renovation and refurbishment of the National Stadium.

“When the FIFA team came here we had intense discussions with the contractors,” Ricketts said. “Based on the body language from the FIFA representatives, we’re pretty satisfied and pretty confident that we will be in a position to host the Women’s World Cup in 2031.”

He added that he shared Grange’s optimism that Jamaica would be selected as one of the four host nations.

Redevelopment of the National Stadium is expected to begin in July or August 2027 after the completion of the detailed design phase by United Kingdom based Ryder Architecture and global consulting firm CAA Icon. The project is intended to bring the venue into compliance with FIFA standards.

Grange had previously indicated that construction would be completed in 2029. However, during a visit by World Athletics President Seb Coe in January, she said she could not provide a completion date but acknowledged the importance of finishing the project in time to meet FIFA’s requirements.

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