Kathmandu: FIFA has released the complete match schedule for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, laying out when and where all 64 games will be played across Brazil’s eight host cities. The announcement came at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich during the live draw show for the tournament’s play off qualifying round.

Brazil, as hosts, will open the tournament at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro on June 24. Their remaining group matches follow at Arena Itaquera in Sao Paulo on June 29 and the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia on July 4.

Every host city will stage at least seven matches and each gets at least one knockout game. Brasília, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador will host matches through the Round of 16. Belo Horizonte and Fortaleza join Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo as quarter final venues.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he was looking forward to the tournament. “I already have goosebumps thinking about the incredible passion, colour and energy that Brazilian fans will bring to the tournament as they welcome the world to eight vibrant Host Cities,” he said.

Sao Paulo will host one semi final and the third place match. The other semi final and the final will both be played at the Maracana with FIFA Fan Festivals running alongside the games in Rio and other cities around the country.

Dame Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer, said the schedule was built around fairness for the 32 competing teams. “As we developed the match schedule, we carefully balanced sporting fairness across all 32 teams, considering travel distances, recovery time between matches and the overall competition experience,” she said, adding that FIFA also wanted fans in every host city to feel part of the tournament.

With the final at the Maracana, the stadium becomes only the third venue to host both a men’s and women’s World Cup final, following Sweden’s Rasunda Stadium (1958 and 1995, now demolished) and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (1994 and 1999).

Aline Pellegrino, a former captain of Brazil’s women’s national team and now the tournament’s Executive Director of Legacy and Stakeholder Affairs, reflected on what the moment means to her personally. “The little girl Aline who used to play football in the streets of Sao Paulo could never have dreamed of a day like this,” she said, adding that she expects each host city to bring its own character to the tournament.

The match schedule is now posted on FIFA’s website. Organizers, host cities and local authorities continue preparations ahead of the tournament and an updated schedule will follow the final draw later this year. Fans can register interest in tickets at FIFA.com/tickets and those interested in volunteering can sign up for updates at FIFA.com/volunteer.