Windsor Park expansion to 23,750 seats proposed for 2035 Women's World Cup bid

Windsor Park would expand to 23,750 seats under redevelopment proposals linked to the United Kingdom's bid for the 2035 Women's World Cup, BBC Sport reported on Thursday, citing FIFA's evaluation. The Belfast stadium currently holds 18,500 spectators and is Northern Ireland's only venue nominated in the bid. The proposed increase amounts to 5,250 seats.

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The plans also cover a hybrid-grass pitch meeting the tournament's playing-area requirements and improved floodlighting. According to the BBC's account of the report, the stadium authority has committed to the upgrades needed to meet FIFA's minimum standards. Windsor Park is proposed for matches as far as the quarter-finals, with the enlarged capacity planned for 2035.

The venue last underwent redevelopment in 2015, when the Irish Football Association received £28.75 million from the Northern Ireland Executive to bring capacity to its present level. BBC Sport said it had contacted the association for comment. Windsor Park is among 19 stadiums in the submission: 14 in England, two in Scotland, two in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

FIFA published its evaluation on November 11 and confirmed that the joint 2035 bid meets its minimum hosting requirements. The submission comes from the football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. FIFA said its assessment included visits to the bidding countries, alongside examination of the material put forward by the applicants.

The assessment extends beyond stadium specifications. FIFA said its evaluation model considers the proposed event's vision and key measures, infrastructure, services and commercial arrangements, as well as sustainability and human rights. The resulting report allows the bid to move to the next stage, but does not itself constitute the formal award of hosting rights.

That decision is scheduled for November 23, 2026, when FIFA's member associations will consider the bid at an Extraordinary Congress held by videoconference. They will also decide on the 2031 proposal from the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica, which FIFA said had likewise cleared the minimum hosting requirements.