Arthur Elias on plans and the cities hosting Brazil at the 2027 Cup | OneFootball

Knowing the venues and dates of the 2027 World Cup matches before their opponents—who will only have their schedule set after the draw—helps with planning and logistics, but the national team must take it one game at a time and focus on preparation and finishing top of the group stage.

That is the assessment of Women’s National Team head coach Arthur Elias. This Thursday, FIFA released the tournament schedule, with Brazil playing the first phase at the Maracanã (RJ) on June 24; Itaquera (SP) on June 29; and the National Stadium (DF) on July 4.

The announcement of the matches each host city will stage, along with the possible paths for the Canarinho to the final, has raised expectations for the tournament even further. According to the coach, playing at home is not synonymous with pressure, but rather with pride—and it can be a competitive advantage when it comes to planning.

“We’re getting closer to the World Cup, and this decision was important. The logistics are favorable, and we’ll be able to plan them in advance. Our goal is always to qualify in first place and, in this case, that’s important because it gives us one extra day before the semifinal and the final,” he notes.

Arthur Elias during a Women’s National Team training session in England in October 2025Credits: Lívia Villas Boas/CBF

Fan engagement in the host cities

Arthur sees this as the final stretch of preparation for the World Cup, which began right after the Olympics in 2024. Recently, São Paulo and Fortaleza hosted national team friendlies, and the result was positive in terms of feeling the stadium atmosphere and the fans’ engagement. There are still four FIFA windows until May next year, and more matches are expected to be confirmed in Brazil.

Regarding the venues chosen to host Brazil in the first phase, the coach highlighted that they are important arenas for women’s football, and that the World Cup as a whole is a milestone for accelerating the development of the sport not only in the country, but throughout South America.

“I hope that after the World Cup it becomes more common for the Women’s National Team to play at the Maracanã, which is our most iconic stadium and known worldwide. Playing the first match there is an advantage because, since the goal is to reach the final, the more we play in the stadium, the more we test the pitch and the crowd,” he explains.

As for the second group-stage match, in Itaquera, the coach notes that it could already secure qualification for the round of 16; and regarding the National Stadium, where he has not yet coached, it would be important to bring more matches there to encourage women’s football in Brasília, which already has some projects and teams.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.