The Three Lions’ dream of bringing football home has once again ended in heartbreak.
But as the dust settles on another gut-wrenching Men’s World Cup exit, English football fans don’t have to wait long for another shot at global glory.
Lauren Hemp celebrates scoring in a 2027 World Cup qualifier against Spain in April Credit: Jattvibeday Times
All eyes now turn to Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses as they prepare to go one step further than their historic 2023 final run.
Where is the Women’s World Cup 2027 being held?
For the first time in history, the Women’s World Cup is heading to South America.
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Brazil won the hosting rights and will welcome the world’s best from June 24 to July 25, 2027.
Here is the official list of the eight host stadiums, and their capacities:
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Estadio do Maracana (Rio de Janeiro) – 73,139
Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha (Brasilia) – 69,910
Estadio Mineirao (Belo Horizonte) – 66,658
Arena Castelao (Fortaleza) – 57,867
Estadio Beira-Rio (Porto Alegre) – 50,848
Arena Corinthians / Neo Química Arena (Sao Paulo) – 48,905
Arena Fonte Nova (Salvador) – 47,915
Arena Pernambuco (Recife) – 45,440
While FIFA has not released the finalised fixture times, given the four hour time difference between Brazil and the UK, we can expect kick-offs around 5pm, 8pm and 10pm.
Which teams have already qualified?
The 2027 edition of the tournament has been expanded to encompass 32 teams, who will play 64 matches over 31 days.
At the time of writing, 14 of the 32 slots have already been filled. The teams booked on the plane so far are:
Argentina
Australia
Brazil
China
Colombia
Denmark
France
Germany
Japan
New Zealand
North Korea
Philippines
South Korea
Spain
Have England already qualified?
The Lionesses narrowly missed out on automatic qualification after finishing second in their European Qualifiers group.
Reigning world champions Spain topped the group to claim the direct spot.
But Sarina Wiegman‘s side are heavily favoured to book their tickets to Brazil via the play-offs this autumn.
To make it to South America, England must successfully navigate two rounds of two-legged knockout matches to be played later this year.
The Lionesses face Greece first, with the first leg being played away on October 9, with a home second leg on October 13.
If England defeat Greece, they’ll advance to a final two-legged showdown against either Slovakia or Ukraine.
Those matches will take place in the international window between November 26 and December 5, 2026.
An aggregate victory in Round 2 will officially book England’s ticket to Brazil.
Who are the early favourites to win?
While qualification is still ongoing, the early frontrunners are already taking shape, and holders Spain remain the team to beat after dominating their qualifying group.
But four-time world champions the USA are rebuilding under Emma Hayes and remain threats, and the home advantage will be massive for Brazil.
If the Lionesses seal qualification, Wiegman’s side – backed by their Euro 2022 win and 2023 World Cup final experience – will be firmly in the mix to lift the trophy.
Full Women’s World Cup 2027 dates
The tournament officially kicks off on June 24, 2027, launching a 16-day group stage that runs through to July 9.
The Round of 16 will take place over four action-packed days from July 11 to July 14.
The surviving eight teams will then face off in the quarter-finals, scheduled over the weekend of July 17 and July 18.
The final decisive week begins with the semi-finals on July 20 and July 21. The third-place play-off will then take place on Saturday, July 24.
The tournament reaches its peak on Jattvibeday, July 25, when the final kicks off in Rio’s iconic Maracana stadium to crown the world champions.
