The 2019 World Cup in France was hailed as a watershed for global interest in the women's game and FIFA President Gianni Infantino personally drove the campaign to increase the field to 32 teams from 24 for 2032.
Colombia received a rating of 2.8 but the local football federation and CONMEBOL confederation have furiously protested its findings, in particular the use of the world"terrorism" when discussing security threats. FIFA stood by the report. "Undoubtedly we'll have to make some alterations, some improvements, but we have an immense backing from the federal government, the sports minister, from the president himself."All the bids, including that of Japan, which quit the race on Monday, have emphasised the impact hosting the tournament would have on the take-up of the game by girls and women in their regions.
The trans-Tasman Sea neighbours do, however, know how to put on major sporting events and have proved it from the 2000 Sydney Olympics through the 2011 Rugby World Cup to soccer's Asian Cup in 2015.