Ministry of Sport inspects Neo Química Arena for 2027 Women’s World Cup | OneFootball

Brazil’s Ministry of Sport has inspected Neo Química Arena as part of 2027 Women’s World Cup preparations. The stadium is among the confirmed venues.

As reported by Meu Timao, the delegation included state, municipal and federal officials, plus Corinthians staff and Antonio Goulart. Juliana Agatte, extraordinary secretary for the World Cup, praised the facilities.

She said the group were surprised and that the arena offers excellent conditions for 2027. It was the third stadium checked to date, after Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre.

The ground is under consideration to stage the opening match. While the Maracanã is indicated for both opener and final, Corinthians, FIFA and the CBF remain in talks about Neo Química hosting it.

FIFA requires structural adjustments, including a capacity increase. Corinthians have ruled out temporary structures used in 2014, arguing they could hit revenue by closing key sections, and are studying permanent alternatives.

The arena holds about 48,905. Proposals include removing seats in the South stand to lift that sector from 7,406 to 9,083, and adding lateral sections to the East Upper for roughly 2,000 extra seats.

It was initially slated for seven matches, five in the group stage, one in the last 16 and one semi-final, and could receive more after host cities were cut from 12 to eight.

Other confirmed venues are Maracanã, Mineirão, Arena Pernambuco, Castelão, Arena Fonte Nova, Mané Garrincha and Beira-Rio. The arena also staged the 2014 World Cup opener, 2016 Olympics, 2019 Copa América and NFL fixtures in 2024 and 2025.

Source: Meu Timao