September 4 – Twelve Brazilian cities, including Belem and Natal, have come forward to host matches at the 2027 Women’s World Cup, FIFA confirmed on Wednesday.
The Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) proposed Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Cuiaba, Fortaleza, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Sao Paulo as the other ten candidate host cities. They all served as host cities during the 2014 World Cup. The Maracana will be the leading candidate to stage the tournament’s final.
“The Fifa Women’s World Cup 2027 will be a historical moment, not only for Brazil, but for the entire South American continent, elevating women’s football to its highest international level,” said CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues (pictured right).
“This event is also the best platform to promote social change in Brazil, leaving a lasting and consistent legacy for the women and girls in our society.”
FIFA require at least eight stadiums for the tournament and is expected to announce the host cities next year following inspections later this month and in October.
“We will conduct a clear, transparent process to select the stadiums and host cities for this tournament, as a seamless continuation of the bidding,” said FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman.
“The FIFA team will analyse the key criteria set out in the hosting agreement in combination with the documentation provided by the 12 candidate host cities and the conclusions from the inspection visits. Our aim is to select the most suitable stadiums and host cities, balancing technical aspects and financials with women’s football development objectives.”
At the recent FIFA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, Brazil landed the hosting rights defeating a bid by Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands (BNG). Previously, the United States and Mexico with a joint bid dropped out of the race.
Brazil’s coronation was not without controversy. FIFA had knocked down the European bid in their evaluation because of a high-risk score on BNG’s legal framework. Scrutineers identified tax risks in all three European countries. FIFA demands major tax breaks from countries that host the World Cup.
It’s the first time that South America will stage the Women’s World Cup. The Brazilian bid did little overt lobbying and the host award was seen as a consolation for the region after South America relinquished ambitions to stage the 2030 World Cup, which, ultimately, paved the way for Saudi Arabia to close in on the 2034 World Cup.
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