The 10th edition of the Women's World Cup will be staged in Brazil from 24 June to 25 July 2027, marking the first time the tournament has been held in South America. Eight stadiums across the country will host matches, all of which previously served as venues for the men's World Cup in 2014.
This will be the second and final edition of the tournament to feature 32 teams before the format expands to 48 nations in 2031. Brazil have already secured their place as automatic qualifiers by virtue of hosting.
Spain arrive as defending champions after defeating England in the 2023 final to claim their maiden World Cup title, and they have already booked their return trip to Brazil.
Qualification pathways vary by confederation, with a total of 32 spots distributed as follows: Europe (11), Asia (six), Africa (four), North and Central America and the Caribbean (four), South America (three), Oceania (one), and three additional places determined through an inter-confederation play-off tournament.
In Europe, the qualification process began with a first round staged between March and June 2026. Fifty-three nations were divided into three leagues based on standings from the 2025 UEFA Women's Nations League — 16 teams each in Leagues A and B, and 21 in League C. The winners of each of the four League A groups — Denmark, France, Spain and Germany — secured direct qualification for the World Cup.
The remaining nations, including England and the Republic of Ireland, were pushed into a play-off system. This includes second- and third-placed League A teams, the top three finishers in each League B group, the six League C group winners, and the two best runners-up from League C.
The European play-offs run across two rounds between October and December 2026, split into two paths. In Path 1, runners-up and third-placed League A sides face League C qualifiers in two-legged ties during October, with fixtures including Greece against England, Kazakhstan versus the Republic of Ireland, and Lithuania taking on Sweden. In Path 2, bottom-placed League A teams and top League B winners meet second- and third-placed League B nations, also in October, featuring ties such as Czech Republic versus Scotland and Northern Ireland against Portugal.
The second round, played in November and December, will see the winners of Path 1 face the winners of Path 2 in two-legged encounters, with victors earning their place in Brazil. The losing nation from this final stage will not go home empty-handed, however, as they will receive a spot in the inter-confederation play-off tournament for one last chance at qualification.
Beyond Europe, several nations have already confirmed their participation. Asia's representatives include Australia, China, South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and North Korea. Africa has sent Algeria, Morocco, Cameroon and Malawi through, while South America — aside from hosts Brazil — will be represented by Argentina and Colombia. New Zealand have secured Oceania's sole automatic berth. Places for North and Central America and the Caribbean, along with the inter-confederation play-off slots, remain undecided.
Seven nations — Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei, Ghana, South Africa, Venezuela, Ecuador and Papua New Guinea — are already guaranteed places in the 10-team inter-confederation play-off tournament, which will determine the final three qualifying nations.
On the venue front, FIFA confirmed in May 2025 that eight Brazilian cities — Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Sao Paulo — will host matches. Among them is the iconic Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, the largest venue selected with a capacity of 78,838. The stadium previously staged the finals of the 1950 and 2014 men's World Cups, as well as the women's Olympic football final in 2016.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.