The 2027 women’s World Cup will take place in Brazil, FIFA announced Friday at its 74th Congress in Bangkok.

Brazil had been considered the front-runner over a joint bid by Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany (BNG) because of its stadiums and ability to accommodate participants and fans. Brazil hosted the men’s World Cup in 2014 and will bring the women’s World Cup to South America for the first time.

Its presentation to the congress was read by reporter and host Duda Pavão, who emphasized the country’s national attractions and experience in hosting international sports events — as well as Brazil’s noted ability to throw a party.

“Brazilian history is full of giants and legends, who with magic and devotion prove their love for football,” Pavão said, adding that “women’s football is growing faster and faster.”

Almost 70 million Brazilians watched the 2023 women’s World Cup on television, according to the country’s presentation. That tournament — held in Australia and New Zealand — broke records, with 2 million attendees in stadiums and 2 billion international viewers, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said this week.

After the winner was announced, Brazilian Football Association President Ednaldo Rodrigues said it was a “victory for South American women’s soccer.” On social media, Brazil’s Sports Minister André Fufuca said it would mark a new moment for women’s football on the continent.

The decision followed the first open vote by FIFA’s 211 member associations. A technical bid evaluation published by the governing body gave Brazil a score of 4.0 out of 5 and noted that a South American tournament “could have a tremendous impact on women’s football in the region.” The BNG joint bid scored 3.7, with FIFA calling it a “sound all-round bid.”

Brazil’s bid includes 10 stadiums used for the 2014 men’s World Cup in 2014, with Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracanã the site for the opening match and the final.

The downside of South America, however, is the distance between host cities, which will require “carbon-intensive” air travel, as opposed to the BNG bid’s “compact tournament footprint” with short distances between venues. However, BNG had a high-risk evaluation because Belgium had not met the level of commitment required by FIFA in the areas of “taxes, immigration procedures, labour law, and safety and security.” FIFA noted that it would be “exposed to potential unanticipated financial liabilities and operational delivery risks.”

FIFA’s decision came down to those two bids after the United States and Mexico last month withdrew their joint bid, preferring to focus on the 2031 tournament. South Africa had done the same in November. U.S. and Mexican officials said their bid would call for the women’s tournament to have investment equal to that of the men’s, in a “historic first.”

“The revised bid will allow U.S. Soccer to build on the learnings and success of the 2026 World Cup, better support our host cities, expand our partnerships and media deals, and further engage with our fans so we can host a record-breaking tournament in 2031,” the federations said in a statement.

The United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the men’s World Cup in 2026.

  Brazil, FIFA World Cup, women’s football, women’s football soccer