Augsburg, Bielefeld, Bochum and Dresden are the host cities for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2010. The tournament, a year in advance of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011™, will kick off in Bochum on 15 July 2010, and will conclude with the Final in Bielefeld on 1 August 2010. The proposed schedule, ratified by the DFB Executive at an extraordinary meeting in Frankfurt am Main on Friday, requires final approval from the FIFA Executive.

“FIFA’s fundamental desire is for the 32 matches played by the 16 participating U-20 teams to be hosted by venues which will also be used for the Women’s World Cup. Especially in Augsburg und Dresden, where new stadiums are scheduled for completion in 2009, the U-20 Women’s World Cup offers a welcome opportunity to stage matches to international standards in the run-up to 2011. Bochum is a European City of Culture in 2010, allowing the tournament to be integrated seamlessly in numerous activities relating to sport and integration. The nomination of Bielefeld reflects the DFB’s intention to offer the city a form of compensation for its non-inclusion at the Women’s World Cup 2011,“ explained DFB general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach. “For the same reason, the DFB has already awarded a women’s international on 25 February 2009 to Bielefeld.“

Meeting in Zurich on 14 March this year, the FIFA Executive considered the future scheduling of major women’s tournaments, and resolved to stage a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in the same country as the following year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup. This has been the model in the men’s game since 2001, with a FIFA Confederations Cup preceding the FIFA World Cup ™ in the same country by a year.

Commented FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter: “We don’t need an organisational dry run in Germany. There’s no need for it there. Appetiser is the right word. That’s why FIFA agreed with the DFB to hold the U-20 World Cup in Germany a year before, as a way of stoking anticipation for the World Cup 2011. The U-20 national teams who make the finals will undoubtedly have the quality to appeal to a broader public.“