Overview

• The United Kingdom remains the sole bidder for the expanded 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup, with a formal bid due to be submitted in November 2025.
• Wales plans to propose two venues within the UK bid, with Cardiff City Stadium expected in the south and Wrexham’s SToK Cae Ras under consideration in the north following talks last week.
• A new 7,750-seat Kop stand is raising the Racecourse Ground’s capacity to about 18,000 and meeting UEFA Category Four standards in time for Wales to host the 2026 UEFA Under-19 Championship, where the final is slated for Wrexham.
• FIFA’s current criteria require all-seater stadiums of at least 20,000 capacity, meaning further expansion or upgrades would be necessary at Wrexham before any World Cup matches could be approved.
• Owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have appointed Populous to deliver a masterplan and have floated a long-term build-out to 45,000–55,000 seats, which Mooney describes as a potential legacy for North Wales.