Brazil backs out of bid for 2023 Women’s World Cup, citing coronavirus concerns, economic impact

Brazil has given up on trying to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Brazil officially withdrew its bid for the tournament on Monday, according to the Associated Press, due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact on the country.

The Brazilian Football Confederation, per the report, said that president Jair Bolsonaro told FIFA that it couldn’t offer financial guarantees “due to the scenario of fiscal and economic austerity, caused by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

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“[The Brazilian Football Confederation] understands the position of caution of the Brazilian government, and other public and private partners, which stopped them from formalizing the commitments within time or in the required form,” it said in a statement, via the Associated Press.

Brazil has been one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the coronavirus. It had nearly 700,000 confirmed cases as of Monday afternoon, according to The New York Times, by far the most in the world outside of the United States — which was closing in on 2 million confirmed cases and had more than 110,000 deaths.

Brazil instead will now support Colombia’s bid for the World Cup. Japan is also vying for the tournament, and Australia and New Zealand submitted a joint bid. A decision is expected to be made later this month.

The Women’s World Cup has never been hosted in South America or Oceania. China has hosted the tournament twice, the only Asian country to do so.

Without Brazil in the running, the 2023 Women’s World Cup will be held in either Australia and New Zealand, Japan or Colombia. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Without Brazil in the running, the 2023 Women’s World Cup will be held in either Australia and New Zealand, Japan or Colombia. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

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