FIFA has begun the process of selecting the host cities for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ with a virtual workshop for the 12 candidate cities bidding to stage matches. They include Belém and Natal, which have been put forward by the Brazilian Football Association (CBF), in addition to the ten cities proposed in Brazil’s successful bid to stage the tenth edition of the tournament. The workshop, held on Monday, 2 September, was described by the CBF President, Ednaldo Rodrigues, as the start of Brazil’s journey to hosting the 32-team tournament that will be held in South America for the first time. “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 Mr Rodrigues, adding that the collaboration of state governments and state football associations would be crucial for the successful hosting of the competition. “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.”

At least eight stadiums are required to host the tournament and FIFA will conduct a selection process during the coming months to evaluate the host cities and stadiums that have been proposed by the CBF. Stadiums, training sites, hotels, transportation, financial aspects and potential locations for the FIFA Fan Festival will all be evaluated, as well as the bidder’s commitments to sustainability and women’s football development. Between 25 September and 11 October, a group of FIFA experts will conduct an inspection visit to each of the 12 candidate cities and stadiums, followed by another round of inspections related to training sites and team hotels in November. FIFA will then produce a thorough evaluation report, with the announcement of the venues hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 planned for 2025.

“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 Dame 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.” Opening the workshop, Dame Bareman also spoke of the opportunities that hosting the tournament will bring to Brazil. “This event is so much more than just a tournament to us. It really represents a huge opportunity to accelerate the development of women’s football at a global level, and also, for you in your country in Brazil, in your host cities, right down to the communities and the clubs that are involved in our sport,” she said. “I believe that there is no better place to accelerate the growth of women’s football than Brazil, which we know as the country of football.”

She highlighted that the previous tournament in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand had had a huge impact, noting the increase in “the number of women and girls who are participating, who are playing [the sport] for the first time, [and] the number who are getting into coaching, who are becoming involved in football.” The candidate cities and stadiums are: Belém: Estádio Mangueirão Belo Horizonte: Estádio Mineirão Brasília: Estádio Mané Garrincha Cuiabá: Arena Pantanal Fortaleza: Arena Castelão Manaus: Arena da Amazônia Natal: Arena das Dunas Porto Alegre: Estádio Beira-Rio Recife: Arena de Pernambuco Rio de Janeiro: Estádio do Maracanã Salvador: Arena Fonte Nova São Paulo: Arena Corinthians