Europe's Choice
August 28, 2007
Buoyed by the success of the 2006 Men's World Cup, Germany is hoping to host another soccer celebration with women athletes in four year's time.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, herself a big fan of the beautiful game, has thrown her weight behind the bid, and France's decision to remove its hat from the ring has given Germany's chances an additional lift.
"We are very grateful to our friends in the French soccer federation for their pledge to support the German bid for the 2011 Women's World Cup," German Soccer Association (DFB) President Theo Zwanziger said in a statement.
Germany is now up against Australia, Canada and Peru for the right to host the event. Soccer's world governing authority FIFA will announce the winner on Oct. 30 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Past history, new impulses
The European Soccer Federation UEFA has eight of the 24 votes in the FIFA executive, and Germany can base its case on its successful hosting of the men's event last summer.
The German women's team won the last World Cup in 2003, and some argue that it would be good for the sport, if the 2011 event were held in a powerhouse soccer nation.
"Germany would definitely make a good host nation and it would benefit women's football," Germany coach Tina Theune-Meyer said in an interview for FIFA's Web site. "We'd be talking about public viewing again, too. A World Cup in Germany would naturally add a new impulse to our already positive development."
Canada could be Germany's strongest competitor -- despite the fact that its neighbour, the United States, has hosted the past two of Women's World Cups. The 2007 Cup is taking place in China in September.
"I think it wouldn't be too much to have three of four World Cups in North America, FIFA President Sepp Blatter has told the Edmonton Sun newspaper. "A bid from Canada is absolutely possible for 2011 from FIFA's point of view."
The popularity of women's soccer has been growing steadily in recent years, and FIFA estimates that by the year 2010 as many women as men will be playing the sport.