2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil Selects Eight Host Cities

FIFA announced eight host venues for the month-long 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil on Wednesday but hasn’t decided yet where the opening match and the final will take place.

The event will be the first FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in South America. The eight cities and venues include Belo Horizonte (Estádio Mineirão), Brasília (Estádio Nacional), Fortaleza (Arena Castelão), Porto Alegre (Estádio Beira-Rio), Recife (Arena de Pernambuco), Rio de Janeiro (Estádio do Maracanã), Salvador (Arena Fonte Nova) and São Paulo (Arena Itaquera).

All eight sites were among the 12 used for the men’s World Cup in 2014. Curitiba, Manaus and Natal, all venues for the men’s World Cup, were not included in the women’s tournament bid book. Belem was also left out.

For this tournament, set for June 24-July 25, 2027, almost all host cities are either on the Brazilian coast or close to it, with the exception of the capital, Brasilia, and Belo Horizonte, two of the nation’s most populous cities. Some members of Brazil’s soccer confederation have said they want to hold the opening match at Sao Paulo and the final at the 78,000-seat Maracana, as it did in the 2014 World Cup.

“From samba to frevo, from stunning beaches to cosmopolitan cities, the world will experience the energy, color and warmth that only Brazil can offer,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. “We will continue to work closely with the selected host cities on the exciting journey ahead of us, creating unforgettable moments in each of their stadiums in 2027, and ensuring that this tournament has a major and widespread positive impact.”

After FIFA announced Brazil as the host last May, the host city selection process began in August 2024, including 12 candidate cities. The next major milestones on the road to 2027 include the release of the match schedule and the official brand launch.

“Indeed, this is one of the most important and exciting stages in our journey towards the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027,” said André Fufuca, minister of sport of Brazil. “The selection of the host cities represents the moment where the dream begins to take shape — with faces, places, cultures and stories that will be a part of this collective celebration.”