The 2003 Women’s World Cup was once again a memorable affair. Hosted by the United States for the second competition running, it ended in dramatic fashion at the end of three weeks of football.
While the reigning champions from the tournament’s 1999 edition played host, it wasn’t originally planned to be held in the US. In fact, China were meant to host, as the inaugural World Cup hosts prepared to hold the competition for a second time.
However, four months before it began, FIFA made the decision to relocate the main event due to the outbreak of SARS, a respiratory disease that first appeared in China in November 2002.