
FIFA president announcing the successful host country
* Won with 119 votes versus 78 for the joint European entry, boosted by a technical evaluation from FIFA
* That gave a high score for its commercial plan and stadiums purpose-built for the 2014 men’s World Cup
Reuters, France24 & Africa News
Brazil was declared hosts of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 after winning a vote at the annual FIFA Congress on Friday in Bangkok —beating the joint bid of Belgium, Netherlands & Germany to become the first South American country picked to stage the tournament.

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Brazil won with 119 votes versus 78 for the joint European entry, boosted by a technical evaluation from world football governing body FIFA — that gave a high score for its commercial plan and stadiums purpose-built for the 2014 men’s World Cup.
After the success of Australia & New Zealand in 2023, which earned a record US$570 million in commercial revenue, FIFA chose to continue its push to expand women’s football to new continents.
Delegates meeting in Bangkok sent the 10th Women’s World Cup to the land of samba football and the decision sparked jubilant celebrations from the Brazilian bid team.
Brazil, home of women’s football great Marta, scored higher than its European rival in FIFA’s evaluation report as the FIFA inspectors noted the “tremendous impact on women’s football in the region” that South America hosting the Women’s World Cup would have.

Historic Macarana Stadium
Brazil’s bid impressed inspectors for its 10 stadiums used for the men’s World Cup in 2014, with Rio de Janeiro’s famous Maracana lined up for the opening match and final.
But work needs to be done, in particular to the Amazonia stadium in Manaus which has stood almost unused for a decade and the Brazilian Football Confederation has also been in turmoil with legal challenges to its president.
Unlike their male counterparts, who have won five World Cups, Brazil’s women have never lifted the trophy and made a group-stage exit in 2023.
Last year’s tournament defied fears that increasing the size from 24 to 32 teams would dilute the spectacle, with over 1.4 million fans streaming through the turnstiles to witness a host of shocks, dramatic turnarounds and breakthrough results.

Australia & New Zealand 2023
Gone were the lopsided scorelines that were a feature of the previous eight World Cups, reflecting a growth in the standard of women’s football.
Seven teams notched their first World Cup wins and the United States and Germany, who between them had won six of the previous eight tournaments, were both dumped out early.
The only sour note came in the aftermath of last year’s final in Sydney, in which Spain beat England 1-0 in which Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales sparked outrage when he forcibly kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony, and now faces prosecution for sexual assault.
Ahead of the 74th FIFA Congress, FIFA president Gianni Infantino participated in a friendly football match with former legends of the game in Bangkok.

Infantino (centre) with FAM president Fleetwood Haiya

Haiya with CAF president Patrice Motsepe
Infantino led the FIFA team, while iconic players such as Luis Figo, Cafu, El-Hadji Diouf, Emmanuel Adebayor, Andriy Shevchenko, and Clarence Seedorf represented their respective confederations.
After the match, Emmanuel Adebayor, former Arsenal player, discussed the current situation of his old club in the Premier League title race while praising the talent of Arsenal’s young squad but highlighted the need for experienced players to guide the team through challenging moments.
Present at the Congress was a delegation from Football Association of Malawi (FAM) — president Fleetwood Haiya, first vice-president Madalitso Kuyera and general secretary, Alfred Gunda.
Haiya enjoyed an interface with fellow football federation chiefs, saying he shared notes and acquired insights in the running of the modern game.
“At the same platform I had an opportunity to mingle with former world football greats who appreciated our football transformation agenda,” he said on his Facebook page. “With such opportunities to interact with various people with varied expertise and experience we will continue to Transform the Game.”

Haiya with Brazilian legend Cafu and below with Samuel Eto’o (centre)
The Congress, however, touched on the sensitivity of the Israel-Gaza conflict, that was raised by Palestinian FA (PFA) with a call to suspend Israel from the world body and ban Israeli teams from FIFA events.
PFA head Jibril Rajoub said the Israeli FA (IFA) had broken FIFA rules, adding: “FIFA cannot afford to remain indifferent to these violations or to the ongoing genocide in Palestine.”
His Israeli counterpart Shino Moshe Zuares rejected the call as “cynical, political and hostile”, insisting the IFA had not broken any FIFA rules.
FIFA president said the body would take independent legal advice on the matter and decide by July 20 what action to take, if any.
The Congress also approved changes to FIFA statutes, removing the rule fixing the organisation’s headquarters in Zurich, where it has been since 1932.
The rule now says the location of the HQ will be “determined by a decision passed by the Congress” – opening the way for it to move from the Swiss city.
Delegates also voted to multiply the number of committees from seven to 35, reversing steps taken in 2016 to clean up FIFA after it was rocked by a wave of corruption scandals.
The remits of the new committees include women’s football, the fight against racism and eSports, but critics say they risk re-establishing a patronage system the reforms had sought to abolish.—Additional reporting by Maravi Express & AFP

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