Australia favourites to host Women’s World Cup after Japan pulls out

Australia and New Zealand will be hot favourites to win hosting rights for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with Japan pulling out of the race.

Matildas star Sam Kerr celebrates a goal against Vietnam in Newcastle in March. Picture: Getty Images

Japan has ended its pursuit of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosting rights, leaving Australia’s joint hosting bid with New Zealand in pole position ahead of this week’s vote.

The Japan Football Association announced on Monday night it will withdraw its bid to host the tournament, following Brazil in pulling out of the running.

That leaves just Colombia and the trans-Tasman bid as the remaining candidates to host the 2023 tournament, which will be the first to include 32 teams.

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The FIFA Council will make its decision on the host in an online meeting and open vote on Thursday June 25, with an announcement expected in the early hours of Friday, Australian time.

On the surface, Japan’s withdrawal - and subsequent backing of its former rival bid - hands a clear advantage to Australia and New Zealand.

Like Australia, Japan is a member of the Asian Football Confederation and it would appear likely that AFC votes previously split between the competing bids will now go to Australia-New Zealand.

The Oceania Football Confederation, of which New Zealand is a member, has already publicly endorsed the joint bid, with the Southeast Asian ASEAN Football Federation recently following suit.

Last week Australia and New Zealand received the highest score in FIFA’s technical evaluation of the three bids.

The joint bid scored 4.1 out of five in the report, with Japan awarded 3.9 and Colombia trailing on 2.8.

Australia received higher scores than Colombia in all technical criteria.

Last week, South American Football Federation president Alejandro Dominguez and Colombian Football Federation president Ramon Jesurun wrote to FIFA to object to the Colombia bid’s evaluation score — but FIFA stood by its report.

Matildas veteran Emily van Egmond was optimistic about Australia’s chances.

“It’d be awesome and I think it’d be a huge boost for football in Australia,” van Egmond said.

“I am excited but I’m just gonna wait to see if we 100 per cent get it.

“I have a good feeling and I think that’s pretty consistent across the board at the moment but I’m just hoping, fingers crossed, it comes off – because to be able to play a World Cup on home soil would be an amazing experience.”

The Matildas are currently ranked seventh in the world, and van Egmond believes hosting the competition would be invaluable in Australia’s search for a first-ever World Cup title.

“To have the full support of your country behind you playing in arguably the biggest tournament you can play in for your country – it’s something extremely special,” she said.

“For any of the girls who are gonna want to be around for that – I think that’s what everyone’s goal is going to be (is playing at the) 2023 World Cup if we can host it.”

Brazil withdrew from the running earlier this month, leaving Colombia as the only South American country in the running.

In its guide to the bidding process, FIFA emphasised its commitment to “conduct an open, ethical and thorough bidding process” to select the host, which includes an open vote.

FOX SPORTS/AAP