Maracana to Host Opening Match, Final of 2027 Women's World Cup

Brazil's Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro will host both the opening match and the final of next year's Women's World Cup, FIFA announced Thursday.

Brazil, the first South American nation to host the tournament, will play in the opener on June 24 against an opponent yet to be determined. The match will be held at the 73,000-seat Maracana, which also hosted the 2014 men's World Cup final.

The hosts will also play group-stage matches in Sao Paulo and Brasilia as part of the 32-team competition spread across eight Brazilian cities. The final is scheduled for July 25.

The Maracana is one of soccer's most storied venues. It hosted the decisive match of the 1950 men's World Cup, when Uruguay beat the host nation 2-1 to claim the title. In the 2014 final, Germany won its fourth World Cup with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Lionel Messi's Argentina.

So far, only Sweden's Rasunda Stadium and California's Rose Bowl have hosted both a men's and a women's World Cup final. The Maracana will become the third venue to achieve that distinction.

Spain enters as the defending champion after winning the 2023 title. Brazil has never won the Women's World Cup.