The Women’s World Cup will be held in South America for the first time, with Brazil selected to host the 2027 edition at a FIFA congress on Friday.
Following the success of Australia and New Zealand last year, FIFA members chose Brazil over a European proposal in an effort to spread women’s football to new continents.
Delegates meeting in Bangkok decided 119 to 78 to send the 10th Women’s World Cup to the birthplace of samba football, defeating a joint proposal from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany.
The decision spurred euphoria among the Brazilian bid team.
Ednaldo Rodrigues, President of the Brazilian Football Confederation, praised it as a “victory for Latin American football and women’s football in Latin America.”
Brazil, home to women’s football legend Marta, outperformed its European counterpart in FIFA’s evaluation report.
FIFA inspectors had recognised South America’s “tremendous impact on women’s football in the region” if it hosted the Women’s World Cup.
Brazil’s candidature comprises ten venues from the 2014 men’s World Cup, including Rio de Janeiro’s famed Maracana, which will host the opening and final games.
However, work needs to be done, particularly on the Amazonia stadium in Manaus, which has been virtually idle for a decade.
Unlike their male counterparts, who have won five World Cups, Brazil’s women have never won the title and will exit the group stage in 2023.
Last year’s tournament broke records, generating $570 million in commercial income.
On the pitch, it defied expectations that raising the number of teams from 24 to 32 would diminish the spectacle, with almost 1.4 million fans pouring through the turnstiles to see a series of surprises.
The lopsided scorelines of past World Cups were gone, indicating that the calibre of women’s football had improved.
Seven teams won their first World Cup, but the United States and Germany, who had won six of the previous eight championships combined, were eliminated early.
The sole negative remark came in the aftermath of last year’s final in Sydney, where Spain defeated England 1-0.
Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales stirred uproar by forcibly kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony, and he is now facing sexual assault charges.
