FIFA sets date for 2027 Women’s World Cup draw in Brazil

FIFA has confirmed that the final draw for the 2027 Women’s World Cup will take place on 11 December in Rio de Janeiro, where qualified teams, including Africa’s representatives, will learn their group-stage opponents.

The draw will be held at the Museum of Modern Art, overlooking Guanabara Bay and Sugarloaf Mountain, as preparations gather pace for the first Women’s World Cup to be staged in South America.

Representatives of teams that have already secured qualification, as well as nations still competing for places, will attend the ceremony to discover the groups and the first major obstacles on their route to the tournament.

Rio ceremony to reveal tournament schedule

More than 1,000 guests are expected at the event, including team representatives, local officials, tournament partners and members of the media.

FIFA will also release the official tournament schedule after the draw, including the cities that will host group-stage matches and the kick-off times.

The decision to stage the ceremony at the Museum of Modern Art is intended to connect the tournament with Brazilian culture and the country’s concept of “Football Arte”.

Jill Ellis, FIFA’s director of football, said: “It is often said that football is a universal language, but in Brazil it is also an art form.”

She added that the museum was an appropriate venue for beginning to visualise the journeys of the world’s leading female footballers during the competition.

First Women’s World Cup in South America

Aline Pellegrino, FIFA’s executive director responsible for legacy and stakeholder relations in Brazil, said the venue would help celebrate “Football Arte” as an important part of Brazilian identity.

She also described Rio de Janeiro as a natural location for what she called “the most important stage in the preparations for the tournament”.

The 2027 Women’s World Cup will be the first edition of the competition to be staged in South America.

A total of 32 teams will compete in 64 matches across eight host cities, with African nations hoping to secure their places and make an impact on the global stage.

Strong interest ahead of tournament

FIFA says interest in the tournament is already significant, with more than 800,000 people registering their desire to purchase tickets.

More than 95,000 people have also expressed interest in joining the volunteer programme.

For Africa’s leading women’s football nations, the December draw will mark an important milestone as they prepare to discover the opponents standing between them and a place in the knockout stages of the 2027 World Cup.