Brazil Named Host of 2027 Women’s World Cup by FIFA Congress

At the FIFA Congress on Friday, Brazil was announced as the host for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, overcoming the joint bid from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. This victory makes Brazil the first South American nation to host the tournament. Brazil’s bid was supported by 119 member associations at the FIFA Congress, while the European bid garnered 78 votes.

“We knew we would be celebrating a victory for South American women’s soccer and women,” said the President of the Brazilian Football Confederation, Ednaldo Rodrigues. “You can be sure, with no vanity, we will accomplish the best World Cup for women.” Brazil gained a slight advantage leading up to the vote on Friday when a FIFA technical evaluation last week awarded it a score of four out of five, compared to the 3.7 score for the Belgium-Netherlands-Germany (BNG) bid. The competition narrowed to these two bids last month after the United States and Mexico withdrew their joint bid to focus on hosting the 2031 tournament.

The FIFA evaluation rated each bid based on various criteria, including commercial viability, team facilities, accommodations, broadcast sites, stadiums, and fan festival venues. It noted that Brazil’s 10 stadiums were specifically designed and equipped for major tournaments, having previously hosted the 2014 men’s World Cup. Additionally, Brazil’s bid demonstrated a strong commercial position and had solid government support. 

The Congress was also informed of a Palestinian request to suspend Israel’s football federation, citing various breaches of FIFA regulations, notably concerning the Gaza conflict and the participation of teams from Palestinian territories in Israeli leagues. Infantino mentioned that a prompt legal evaluation of these claims would be conducted, and an extraordinary Congress of the FIFA Council would be convened in late July to discuss this matter.