Kirby excited by World Cup coming to Brighton

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Brighton one of the venues that could host matches if UK's bid is successful.

Heather Miller

2025-11-28T15:30+00:00

Fran Kirby played for England at the Amex in a career that saw her win 77 caps. 📸 by Paul Hazlewood

As excitement builds around the prospect of the UK hosting the 2035 Women’s World Cup, one player who knows exactly what such a moment could mean is Fran Kirby.

A true icon of the game, the Albion player has experienced the highs of major tournaments and understands the impact they can have - not just on players, but on the growth of women’s football across the country.

Kirby is one of the most decorated English footballers of all time, having represented her country on the international stage for many years. She featured in the 2015 World Cup when England finished third and played a pivotal role in England’s historic EURO 2022 triumph, where they defeated Germany 2-1 at Wembley in the final.

She said, "It's really exciting. We saw what it did in Euro 2022 with everyone getting behind the team, and for the UK to host such a prestigious tournament would be incredible. Hopefully, the bid is successful.

"I have some amazing memories of playing at the Amex in terms of competing in big games there and scoring a lot of goals with England. It's really exciting and hopefully the team is able to do that again in 2035.

"It just shows the growth from 2022 to now. Hopefully there will be another boost in 2035 and we'll bring football back here to Brighton."

Kirby joined Albion in July 2024 after nine successful years at Chelsea and has been a constant advocate for the women’s game. Reflecting on the role clubs play in supporting major tournaments, she added, "The support from Brighton is massive. We always want the big clubs to get involved and hopefully the Amex is able to host some matches and we get more fans in and shine a light on Brighton and women's football."

Kirby also highlighted the incentive that hosting a World Cup could provide for Albion’s academy players. "It's really exciting is something for them to work towards. Players grow up wanting to represent their country and play in major tournaments, so for them to know that there's a possibility that they can play in a World Cup, never mind it being in this country, is an incredible goal for them."