The 20th FINA World Championships was awarded to the Japanese city of Fukuoka.

The event was originally planned to be held from 16 July – 1 August, 2021, however it was postponed until May 13-29, 2022, due to upheavals in the world sporting calendar due to the coronavirus, then later postponed to 14-30 July 2023.

The 2001 World Swimming Championships were also held in Fukuoka.