New Zealand Football will decide next week whether to launch a joint bid with Australia to host the 2023 Women's World Cup.
The success of the 2019 tournament in France meant FIFA officials unanimously decided to expand the 2023 edition from 24 teams to 32.
New Zealand Football knew that 2023 might be its last crack at hosting the tournament, before it got too big for them to handle.
But the announcement to expand came earlier than expected and was a major blow for New Zealand's bid.
New Zealand likely doesn’t have the infrastructure to host a 32 team tournament alone, but instead of giving up hope, it has approached Australia for help and looked into the feasibility of hosting a joint event.
But time is running out.
Newshub understands New Zealand Football will decide by next week, so both governing bodies can work out the finer details, before the final proposal is due to FIFA on the December 13.
On Thursday, New Zealand Football declined to comment, but Newshub understands it is currently working with the government and local councils on the availability of stadia and training facilities, and whether those are up to FIFA standards.
The news comes hot on the heels of Football Federation Australia becoming the third national body to announce a pay-parity agreement between genders.
They join New Zealand and Norway as countries that pay men and women the same amount while on national duty.
That's a sign that both nations put women's football at the forefront of the sport in their respective countries and is sure to be an attractive factor in their bid.
Newshub.
