Brazil Women's Team: Can the Hosts Win the 2027 World Cup?

For 36 years Brazil's women have played in World Cups without ever lifting the trophy. In June 2027 they get the one thing no Brazilian women's team has had before: a Women's World Cup at home, with the opening match at the Maracanã.

This guide is independent and not affiliated with the CBF or FIFA. It covers where the team stands today, who coaches it and who is likely to play, what the 2026 results say, and what to watch before the tournament. For the dates and cities, see our 2027 Women's World Cup schedule.

Can Brazil win the 2027 Women's World Cup?

They can, and the case for it is real. The case against it is just as real, so here are both sides, using only facts from the CBF, FIFA and match reports.

In Brazil's favor:

• Big-game results. Brazil lost the 2024 Olympic final to the United States, 1-0, and won the 2025 Copa América final over Colombia on penalties after a 4-4 draw, the team's ninth title in that tournament.
• The crowds. The October friendlies drew 28,386 fans in Porto Alegre and more than 29,000 near Recife, and about 55,000 saw the June match against the U.S. in Fortaleza.
• A deep pool. In our tally of the 28 players called up in September, 12 play in Brazil, 7 in Europe, 5 in the United States and 4 in Mexico.
• A winning spring. Brazil won all three games of the FIFA Series in Cuiabá in April, finishing first with 9 points.

Against it:

• No title yet. Brazil's best result at a World Cup is second place in 2007. In 2023 the team went out in the group stage.
• Ranking. FIFA's October 20 ranking has Spain first, the United States second and Germany third. Brazil sat seventh before the October games, and FIFA reports that Denmark was the only change in the top 10.
• Uneven 2026. Brazil lost to Venezuela and Mexico in March and to the U.S. in June.
• Discipline. Four Brazilian players were sent off in Fortaleza, along with coach Arthur Elias, and one was sent off against Venezuela.

Hosting has not been a guarantee. In our tally from FIFA's list of finals, only one host has won the Women's World Cup in nine tournaments: the United States in 1999. I am not a coach, so I will not predict a winner. My read is that Brazil are a contender with a very strong home crowd, not the favorite.

How has Brazil played in 2026?

Mixed, with one trophy and a few results that cost Brazil points in the conversation. Brazil has played ten games this year in our tally:

The June series against the U.S. was the closest thing to a World Cup test. Brazil won the first game in São Paulo, with goals from Tainá Maranhão and Bia Zaneratto, then lost the second in Fortaleza on an own goal. Our USWNT guide has the same two games from the American side.

In October, Brazil beat Argentina 3-1 in Porto Alegre with goals from Luany, Geyse (a bicycle kick) and Angelina. Estadão listed Brazil seventh and Argentina 30th before the game, and noted a drop in Brazil's level after halftime. Three days later in Recife, Brazil led 2-0 on goals by Bia Zaneratto and Gio Garbelini, but Argentina pulled back to 2-2, the second goal from a penalty, and Brazil could not find a third even with an extra player after an Argentine was sent off. Before the series, Elias told reporters he expected "two quite difficult games," according to Agência Brasil.

Who coaches Brazil, and what does he want?

Arthur Elias has been Brazil's head coach since 2023, and he led the team to the 2024 Olympic silver medal and the 2025 Copa América title. He is also the reason the October squad looks the way it does.

At the September 22 press conference, Elias explained how he picks players. Translated from Portuguese, his criteria are: club performance ("one of the main criteria"), what the player has done with the national team, her projection nine months ahead at the World Cup, and the moment in her club season, since the calendars in Mexico, Europe, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are all different. Estadão also reports that Elias counts on about 70 percent of the World Cup group already being defined.

The October squad also brought back three players from the under-20 team who had been called up before but had not yet played for the senior side, according to Agência Brasil: Kaylane, Clarinha and Thaís Lima. And the goalkeeper Yanne, of Bahia, was a new name on the list. I live in Salvador, and Bahia is our city's club, so that one made the local news.

One detail from October: Elias did not sit on the bench in Porto Alegre. He was serving a suspension for the red card he got in June against the United States, so his assistant Rodrigo Iglesias ran the team, according to the city of Porto Alegre.

Who is in the squad?

The CBF named 28 players on September 22 for the Argentina friendlies. This is not the World Cup list, which will be set much closer to the tournament, but it shows the core:

If you watch the NWSL, five of those names will look familiar, and the best-known Brazilian in the U.S. is not on the list: Marta, who plays for the Orlando Pride.

Will Marta play in the 2027 World Cup?

That is not decided, and Elias says so. Marta, who has played six World Cups and six Olympics according to CNN Brasil, turns 41 in February 2027. She was left out of the October squad after a muscle injury in June and a concussion protocol in late July, and she had started only one of four club games since coming back, according to CNN Brasil. The coach has said she is in the plans, and in August he told SporTV, in a quote reported by Estadão (translated): "Of course Marta is in our plans... but her role will be decided and clarified with her, because it cannot be predicted. Only closer to the competition."

Her next chance is the November-December window. Brazil play Japan on November 29 in Hiroshima and December 5 in Okayama, and the squad for those games had not been published on the pages I read. I will add it here when the CBF announces it.

Which players should you watch?

I stick to what the match reports show:

• Luany (Atlético de Madrid) opened the scoring against Argentina in Porto Alegre with a shot off the post.
• Geyse (América) scored the bicycle kick in that game.
• Angelina (Orlando Pride) scored the third goal before halftime, set up by a Luany pass.
• Bia Zaneratto (Palmeiras) scored against the U.S. in São Paulo and headed in the opener in Recife.
• Gio Garbelini (Atlético de Madrid) scored the second goal in Recife on a quick counterattack.
• Lorena (Kansas City) is the goalkeeper who stopped Colombia's last penalty in the 2025 Copa América final.
• Kerolin (Barcelona) had several of Brazil's best chances in the April final against Canada, according to the CBF match report.

Elias has said he wants to widen the attack options and develop more leaders besides Marta, according to CNN Brasil, so expect the October names to change a little before June.

What is Brazil's World Cup history?

Brazil have played in every Women's World Cup, nine in a row so far. The best result came in 2007, in China, when Germany beat Brazil 2-0 in the final in Shanghai. The Olympics have given Brazil three silver medals (2004, 2008 and 2024). At the World Cups since then Brazil went out in the round of 16 in 2019, losing to France 2-1 after extra time, and in the group stage in 2023, finishing third in Group F with four points after a 0-0 draw with Jamaica.

Those results explain the tone around the team: a very successful regional power with silver medals and Copa América trophies, still waiting for a world title.

Where and when does Brazil play at home?

As hosts, Brazil are already in Group A. FIFA's schedule, which is dated August 17, 2026 and can still change, fixes their three group games, and the opponents will be known after the draw:

• Thursday, June 24: opening match at the Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro.
• Tuesday, June 29: Arena Itaquera, São Paulo.
• Sunday, July 4: Estádio Nacional, Brasília.

If Brazil win the group, they play the Round of 16 in Fortaleza on July 10. If they finish second, it is in Belo Horizonte on July 11. Salvador hosts two other Group A games, on June 25 and July 4, so a fan based there can see the group without Brazil in it. Our Salvador guide has the details.

If you want to see Brazil live, the practical steps are the same as for any 2027 game. Register for tickets on FIFA's official channels (see how to get 2027 Women's World Cup tickets), check the entry rules in the Brazil visa guide for Americans and plan the distances with the host city travel times guide. In the U.S. every match streams on Netflix, as explained in how to watch the Women's World Cup in the U.S.

What should you watch before the tournament?

• November 29 and December 5: Brazil play Japan in Hiroshima and Okayama. The squad has not been published yet.
• December 11: the draw in Rio de Janeiro. It will set Brazil's three group opponents.
• February 26 to March 6, 2027: the first of two FIFA windows with three friendlies each, according to Agência Brasil.
• April 13 to 24, 2027: the second window, three more friendlies, just before the World Cup.

For the other teams already in the tournament, see our guide to the teams that have qualified so far, and the broader guide to traveling to Brazil for the World Cup. You can read about the person writing this on the About page, and how we check sources on How we write. I will update this guide after the Japan games and the December 11 draw.

Frequently asked questions

Can Brazil win the 2027 Women's World Cup?

Yes, but they are not the favorites. Brazil are seventh in FIFA's ranking, behind Spain, the United States and Germany in the top three, and have never won the tournament. Their best result is second place in 2007. They took Olympic silver in 2024 and won the 2025 Copa América, and they play all three group games at home.

Who coaches the Brazil women's national team?

Arthur Elias, who has led the team since 2023. He coached Brazil to the 2024 Olympic silver medal and the 2025 Copa América title. His assistant Rodrigo Iglesias ran the team in October against Argentina while Elias served a suspension from a red card in June.

Will Marta play in the 2027 World Cup?

It has not been decided. Marta turns 41 in February 2027 and was left out of the October squad after injuries earlier in the season. Elias says she is in the plans, but her role "will be decided and clarified with her" and depends on how she plays for the Orlando Pride.

Where does Brazil play its group games in 2027?

At the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro on June 24, at the Arena Itaquera in São Paulo on June 29, and at the Estádio Nacional in Brasília on July 4. Brazil are already in Group A, and the opponents will be set by the draw on December 11, 2026.

Has Brazil ever won the Women's World Cup?

No. Brazil's best result is second place in 2007, when Germany won the final 2-0 in Shanghai. Brazil have played all nine tournaments so far, went out in the round of 16 in 2019 and in the group stage in 2023.

What is Brazil's record against the United States in 2026?

One win and one loss. Brazil won 2-1 in São Paulo on June 6 and lost 1-0 in Fortaleza on June 9, on an own goal. Four Brazilian players and coach Arthur Elias were sent off in the second game.

When does Brazil play next?

Brazil play Japan on November 29 in Hiroshima and on December 5 in Okayama. Two FIFA windows with three friendlies each follow in 2027, from February 26 to March 6 and from April 13 to 24.

Sources

• CBF: Arthur Elias calls up 28 players for the friendlies against Argentina (Sept. 22, 2026), read Oct. 28, 2026
• Agência Brasil: Arthur Elias calls up the women's team for the friendlies against Argentina (Sept. 22, 2026)
• City of Porto Alegre: Brazil beat Argentina in front of 28,386 fans at the Beira-Rio (Oct. 10, 2026)
• CBF via TNH1: Brazil and Argentina draw 2-2 at the Arena de Pernambuco (Oct. 14, 2026)
• Diario de Pernambuco / Estadão Conteúdo: Brazil beat Argentina in Porto Alegre (Oct. 10, 2026)
• CNN Brasil: Why Marta was not called up for the Brazil national team (Oct. 10, 2026)
• Estadão Conteúdo: Arthur Elias counts on Marta but does not guarantee her a World Cup place (Aug. 21, 2026)
• CBF via Super Rádio Tupi: Brazil beat Canada and win the FIFA Series in Cuiabá (Apr. 19, 2026)
• O Povo: Arthur Elias on the match in Fortaleza (June 10, 2026)
• Correio Braziliense: Brazil lose to Venezuela in a friendly in Mexico (March 2026)
• Just Women's Sports: Marta lifts Brazil over Colombia to win a 9th Copa América Femenina (Aug. 4, 2025)
• beIN SPORTS: USWNT wins gold at Paris 2024 after defeating Brazil 1-0 (Aug. 10, 2024)
• FIFA: Spain widen gap atop the Women's World Ranking (Oct. 20, 2026)
• Wikipedia: Brazil women's national football team (2026 match list, Olympic medals), used to cross-check the match list