Even though the 2023 Women's World Cup is not due to be played until July and August (more than three years from now), the relative strength of the economies involved, and their capacity to bounce back after the world recovers from the virus, may now take greater importance when the call is made than if the decision was being made on purely football grounds or dictated to by the interests of soccer's often byzantine geopolitics.

Already there is a row in Colombia over the different treatment being meted out to male and female players during the pandemic, with the former having their salaries partially cut while various reports suggest players in female teams have been stood down without pay, partially paid or just terminated while the league has been postponed.

"Quietly confident" was the description of the Australian mood given by one insider following the visit of the five-person bid delegation, whom travelled to Australia and New Zealand in mid-February to inspect the venues put forward as potential sites for games and training headquarters. Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Launceston are the Australian sites, while Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Dunedin have been proposed for New Zealand.

Should Australia get the nod FIFA will choose where to put the matches.

The original timetable called for the decision to be made by FIFA's executive council by June of this year, and while Australian officials have not been given any notice that the timeframe might have changed they will not be surprised if it does.