The United States Women’s National Team is ready to conquer the world again in 2019, and now they know the dates when they will defend their title. FIFA today announced the dates for the 2019 Women’s World Cup that will take place in France:
FIFA sets the dates for 2019 Women's World Cup in France: June 7-July 7.
— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) September 14, 2017
June 7, 2019 will see France in the opening match at Parc Olympic Lyonnais in Lyon, with the same stadium hosting the final July 7, 2019. Paris, Nice, Montpellier, Rennes, Le Havre, Valenciennes, Reims, and Grenoble will also host matches.
The USWNT, despite its status as defending world champions, will still need to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. CONCACAF World Cup qualification will begin next year, culminating in the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship. The USWNT automatically qualifies for that tournament. The top 3 finishers in the tournament qualify automatically for the Women’s World Cup, while the 4th place finisher will enter a inter-confederation playoff with the 3rd place team from CONMEBOL, with the winner of the two-legged contest also heading to France in June 2019.
So, those of you headed to France in 2019, put June 7th through July 7th in your calendar as “BUSY.”