December 13 – Following in the footsteps of Europe, South America will stage a standalone qualifying tournament for the Women’s World Cup, the region’s governing body Conmebol confirmed on Thursday.
UEFA was the first confederation to detach World Cup qualification from its continental flagship tournament and South America will follow suit after Conmebol said that the Copa America will no longer serve as a pathway to the global finals.
“The new competition will be played between 2025 and 2026, and will provide two direct berths and two play-off berths, in addition to the one already occupied by Brazil, the host team for the next World Cup,” Conmebol said in a statement on Thursday.
The first edition of the tournament will see nine teams compete in a round-robin format, with each team playing four matches at home and four away. As the host nation, Brazil will participate automatically in the competition and have been excluded from the qualifiers.
“This new tournament represents a significant achievement for the development and promotion of South American women’s football, providing more opportunities for national teams by guaranteeing a greater number of matches within the framework of a more extensive competitive format,” said Conmebol.
In 2027, Brazil will welcome the Women’s World Cup, the first time the tournament has been staged in South America. Spain are the defending champions after defeating England 2-1 in the final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
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