FIFA confirms eight host cities of the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil

The International Football Federation (FIFA) announced on Wednesday (7) the eight Brazilian cities that will host the 2027 Women’s World Cup. For the first time held in South America, the competition will be played between June 24 and July 25 and will bring together 32 teams from all continents. Brazil, already guaranteed as a host, will also house the opening match and the grand final at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

The announcement was made in a video published on the entity’s networks, with the participation of names such as Marta and Vinicius Junior, as well as FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The event marks the official start of countdown to a tournament that, according to the organization, “promises to be the most impactful edition in the history of women’s football.”

Stages defined to receive the world

The eight host cities chosen were: Rio de Janeiro (Maracanã), Sao Paulo (Neo Chemistry Arena), Belo Horizonte (Mineirão), Recife (Arena Pernambuco), Fortaleza (Castelão), Salvador (Fonte Nova Arena), Brasilia (Mané Garrincha) and Porto Alegre (Beira-Rio). All selected stadiums have already been used in the 2014 Men’s World Cup, which facilitates the use of installed infrastructure and reduces logistics costs.

According to the initial project, Maracanã, Mané Garrincha and Mineirão would receive the largest number of matches (eight each), while the neo chemistry Arena would host seven clashes, including one of the semifinals. The other semifinal would occur in Brasilia. However, the final distribution of the games will still be defined by FIFA, which will start technical visits in the coming months.

Originally, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) presented 10 cities as candidates. The number was reduced to eight, according to the limit established by the international entity. Belém, Manaus, Cuiabá and Natal were left out of the final list, although they were recognized by FIFA for the quality of their proposals.

Sports, social and institutional legacy

The Female World Cup is part of a federal government coordinated effort to boost public policies aimed at women in sports. The Ministry of Sport, led by André Fufuca, leads the national strategy for women’s football, in articulation with other folders and public agencies. Among the objectives are the encouragement of sports between girls, the formation of techniques, referees and managers and the decentralization of the sport through the national territory.

“Brazil is ready to make history. This is one of the most exciting steps towards the 2027 Female World Cup. The definition of host cities represents the moment when the dream begins to take shape, with faces, territories, cultures and stories that will be part of this collective party,” said the minister. Already the director of the ministry and former player Marileia dos Santos, “Michael Jackson”, stressed that the legacy “will not only be sporty, but structural and social”.

The eight host cities also announced that they will promote local celebration actions in the coming days, such as lighting lighting, events in stadiums and activities with athletes and community leaders.

International and historical projection of the competition

With the announcement, Maracanã will become the only stadium in the world to host three FIFA World Cup finals, after the 1950 and 2014 men’s editions. FIFA also confirmed that all stadiums will be used with their maximum capacity, reversing the initial proposal for public limitation. The goal of the entity is to beat audience records and presence in the stadiums.

The tournament will be the second with 32 teams and will have the following distribution of vacancies: Europe (11), Asia (6), Africa (4), North and Central America (4), South America (4, including Brazil), Oceania (1) and 3 places defined via intercontinental playoffs.

Brazil is one of the countries with the most participation in women’s World Cups. It debuted in 1991 and will reach its tenth consecutive edition, maintaining a record that can be equaled by teams such as Germany, Japan and the United States. In the field, the women’s team seeks its unprecedented title, after the 2007 runner-up. The country boasts the biggest top scorer in the history of the competition, with Marta and its 17 goals, as well as historical names like Ant, which played seven editions of the tournament.