São Paulo on the list: Cotia picked by Fifa for Women's World Cup | OneFootball

The Presidente Laudo Natel Athlete Training Center, in Cotia, home of São Paulo’s youth academy, was included by FIFA in the first official list of training centers approved to host national teams during the 2027 Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Brazil.

At this initial stage, world football’s governing body selected 38 training centers across the country. A new version of the catalog will be released by the end of 2026, when the qualified teams and the tournament groups will already be defined, allowing the final choice of each delegation’s base.

SÃO PAULO WILL PROFIT

Clubs whose facilities are used during the World Cup will receive financial compensation from FIFA. The amount will be calculated according to the length of time the training centers are occupied. The same model will be adopted for the stadiums hosting matches. For example, the Maracanã will receive US$200,000 per match played in the competition. Therefore, São Paulo will profit by making its training center in Cotia available.

In total, 52 cities across 12 Brazilian states are part of FIFA’s plan to host delegations. São Paulo was the state with the highest number of facilities evaluated, with 45 training centers inspected in 17 municipalities.

TRICOLOR REMAINS A BENCHMARK

The choice of Cotia reinforces the international recognition of the structure São Paulo has built over the past few years. Since the complex was inaugurated, the club has carried out a series of expansions that have turned the site into one of the main benchmarks for athlete development on the continent.

In 2011, the CFA gained a stadium with capacity for around 1,500 spectators, intended for youth-team matches. The following year, accommodation with capacity for up to 148 people was inaugurated, used both by the club’s athletes and visiting delegations.

Thanks to the quality of its infrastructure, the training center has already served as a base for several national teams. In 2012, Brazil’s senior national team used the facility during preparations for friendlies. Two years later, Colombia chose Cotia as its training base during the World Cup held in Brazil.

Brazil’s women’s national team also trained at the complex in 2016, while the CBF’s under-17 and under-15 teams spent time there during different preparation periods.

In recent years, the CFA has continued to be a frequent destination for international delegations. In 2019, it welcomed Japan’s Olympic team and hosted Bolivia during the Copa América. More recently, the United States women’s national team used the facilities before its friendly against Brazil, played in São Paulo.

In addition to international football, Cotia has also been strengthening its global profile through partnerships with major clubs. In 2025, São Paulo hosted a delegation from Germany’s VfB Stuttgart as part of an exchange agreement focused on youth development. During the visit, the Germans stayed at the CFA and took part in the New Balance Under-19 Cup.

With its confirmation on FIFA’s list, São Paulo’s training center further enhances its reputation as one of the country’s leading sports facilities and establishes itself as a strong candidate to host one of the teams taking part in the 2027 Women’s World Cup.

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