2029 Women's Football Championship: DFB Excludes Berlin from Host Cities

The German Football Association (DFB) has officially announced the list of cities that will be considered for hosting the UEFA Women's Euro 2029, and notably missing from this list is Berlin, the nation's capital. The selected cities include Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hannover, Köln, Leipzig, München, and Wolfsburg, while Gelsenkirchen and Rostock were also eliminated from contention.

This decision came after a thorough evaluation by the DFB's executive committee, which followed the recommendations of an expert panel. Bernd Neuendorf, the president of the DFB, expressed confidence in the remaining candidate cities, stating that they are prepared to host another major football event in Germany.

The announcement has raised eyebrows within the Berlin Senate, particularly regarding the financial and contractual commitments associated with the bid. A spokesperson for the Senate emphasized that the capital was not willing to assume financial risks as part of the application process, while also wishing success to the other cities vying for the tournament.

The DFB's commitment to promoting women's football remains strong, as evidenced by their ongoing support of the sport at all levels, despite Berlin's absence from the list. The decision follows a previous narrowing down of potential host cities, which had previously seen Hamburg, Bremen, and Essen also fall out of the running.

The DFB has a history of hosting the Women's Euro, having previously held the tournament in 1989 and 2001. As the December deadline approaches for the final decision on the host city for 2029, the competition is expected to be fierce, with bids also coming from Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Portugal, and Italy.

Germany's recent experience in international football bidding has been mixed; the country, alongside Belgium and the Netherlands, was unsuccessful in its bid for the 2027 Women's World Cup, losing out to Brazil.