Maracanã Opens and Closes

Level 1 (A2)

FIFA has announced the full match schedule for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil. The tournament will run from 24 June to 25 July 2027. It will have 64 matches in eight Brazilian cities: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador. Brazil is the host country, so the Brazilian team is in Group A. Its first game will be at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on 24 June. The opponent is not known yet because the groups will be decided later. For Brazilian fans, this first game is an important opening match. It begins a month of international football in the country. The World Cup is the biggest international competition in women's football. Teams from many countries will travel to Brazil. They will play for the world title, and fans will follow their national teams during the four-week event.

After Rio, Brazil will play at Arena Itaquera in São Paulo on 29 June and at Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha in Brasília on 4 July. Every host city will have at least seven games and at least one knockout match, when a team can leave the competition after losing. The tournament will finish at Maracanã on 25 July. The stadium will welcome the final, the last game of the World Cup. Maracanã will therefore have two special dates: Brazil's first game and the tournament's last game. Fans in different parts of Brazil will be able to watch matches in their own cities, while people in Rio will see the start and the end of the competition.