Yesterday was Father’s Day, but we can’t get over this story about the first mother-son duo to both play in a World Cup.
In today’s Full Time:
📓 Key facts about the 2027 World Cup
🔙 Sam Kerr’s Gotham return
🌎 Trinity Rodman is everywhere
Let’s start with why next year’s World Cup matters to an entire continent …
One Year To Go
The biggest tournament in South America
The countdown is on. We are still enjoying the current men’s World Cup, and all of its twists and turns, but the 2027 Women’s World Cup is just around the corner — one year away on Wednesday.
Brazil will become the first South American country to host the competition in the women’s game. It will also be the first World Cup broadcast on Netflix.
Of the nine Women’s World Cups run by FIFA since 1991, five nations have won it all. The U.S. leads the way with four titles. Norway, Germany, Spain and Japan have each won one.
It’s not hyperbole to say that the 1999 win by the U.S. changed the course of the game (and sports bras) forever. Will Brazil get its own moment as the second host nation to lift the trophy?
When the host was announced in 2024, we took a closer look at what it means for the entire continent.
South American soccer has seen undeniable growth — just look at the two “friendly” games the U.S. played against Brazil this month (red card party aside). More than 30,000 people attended both matches and were buzzing with excitement. But that growth is fragmented.
Infrastructure is still catching up. “Machismo,” or a culture of masculine tradition, is still involved in soccer in the region. In places like Brazil, many teams are still feeling the effects of the sport being banned for women until the 1980s.
Done right, this tournament could be a pivotal turning point into a time when players like Marta or Catarina Macario don’t have to leave their home country to pursue the beautiful game.
Keys facts for 2027 World Cup
Who’s playing?
Thirty-two teams will compete in next year’s tournament. It is the second tournament with as many teams, and maybe the last, as the 2031 edition is expected to expand to 48 teams (like the men’s tournament).
The reigning champions, Spain, qualified earlier this month, along with 13 other nations. Japan, the Philippines (who are looking to build on their electric debut at the tournament in 2023) and North Korea (who have been to four previous tournaments and are dominating the youth game) are all going. You can find the full list of qualified teams here, as well as what the rest of the field needs to qualify.
The U.S. doesn’t start qualification until Nov. 27 with the Concacaf W Championship.
Eight teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean will compete for four automatic spots, with two additional places in the inter-continental play-off tournament the following year. The USWNT’s first match will be against El Salvador in Mansfield, Texas. If the Americans win, they’re in.
In the meantime, the U.S. has plenty of questions to answer: Will the Triple Espresso show up as they did at the Paris Games? Will key players like Naomi Girma and Macario be fit in time? Is there a new star budding somewhere else?
🎧 LISTEN: Venezuela has never qualified for a senior men’s or women’s World Cup, but after some magic on June 9, the women’s team is one step away. Captain Deyna Castellanos sat down with “Full Time” host Jillian Sakovits to discuss this critical moment for her country.
Where will it be held?
Brazil was awarded the tournament in May 2024, giving the country a little more than two years to prepare. In comparison, the U.S., Canada and Mexico were awarded the 2026 tournament in 2018.
From the beach to the mountains, eight cities will host the 64-game tournament.
Arena Itaquera in São Paulo is the largest host city, with a population of 11.4 million. The city has a rich history of women’s football and is currently dominated by Corinthians, who have won the Brazilian women’s league a record seven times and were formerly coached by current Brazil head coach Arthur Elias.
The southern city of Porto Alegre is the smallest by population (1.3 million) and will host matches at Estádio Beira-Rio.
What can we expect from the hosts?
Asli Pelit has already covered a men’s World Cup in Brazil, so we asked her for the top five tips on everything jogo bonito (or should we say joga bonito? The beautiful game):
If there is one place in the world where soccer is a religion, it is this country, and the true center of it is Rio de Janeiro. From the white sand beaches of Ipanema to the favelas on top of the hills, there will be watch parties for every budget and taste.
Bikes and the subway are your best friends. The Metro connects much of the city, and, during major tournaments, becomes the best way to get to Maracana Stadium. Fans will turn entire train cars into moving supporter sections.
Between Rio and São Paulo, skip the shuttle flights when time allows. The overnight full-flat bus is surprisingly comfortable, more reliable than navigating airport delays and offers a rare chance to see the country’s vast highways.
Eat the street food around the stadiums. Grab a churrasquinho skewer, a pastel, a pão de queijo or whatever has the longest line of locals.
Most importantly, lean into fan culture. Learn a chant or two. Spend time at beach watch parties, neighborhood bars and public squares. Brazil’s relationship with soccer isn’t confined to the ninety minutes on the field. It is in the food, music and sidewalks!
Meg’s Corner: This is Marta’s moment
Whether Marta will actually step onto the field in Brazil next year remains a mystery. But no matter her decision, Brazil’s first Women’s World Cup at home will be the tournament that Marta built. She has shaped the game at home and abroad. Now, she’s playing with an entire generation that idolized her.
It’s impossible to forget Marta’s plea in 2019, straight to camera after France knocked Brazil out in the round of 16. Through tears, she said she would not be here forever. She has danced away from retirement time and time again, as delicately as with a ball at her feet. Around her, Brazil has built a program with greater depth and investment — and finally, they will get their spotlight next summer.
The 40-year-old grew up in poverty, playing with bare feet, and later stuffing her boots with newspaper to make them fit. Her mother was questioned why she let her little girl play a game for boys. No one could have imagined what lay ahead when Marta got on a bus at age 14, heading on a three-day journey to a trial with a professional team.
Nearly three decades later, she will once again lead the way for a new era of Brazilian women’s soccer. For her, it has been a future she clawed for and pleaded for, one demanded through her sheer, undeniable talent.
📺 Get more: The “Full Time” podcast crew talked about the impact of 2027 as well as some of the features we may see carried over from 2026. What will Netflix show during the inevitable return of hydration breaks? It’s worth a listen or watch.
Notables
Kerr to join Gotham FC
Sam Kerr is set to sign with Gotham FC this summer.
After announcing her exit from Chelsea in May, sources said the 32-year-old star Australian striker will join the reigning NWSL champions — a club she played for under its old name, Sky Blue FC, from 2015 to 2017. This will mark her third stint in the NWSL, a league where she’s already a three-time Golden Boot winner.
It’s a bold move for fifth-place Gotham, who also traded U.S. defender and 2025 Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale to Boston Legacy last week.
The best part of the news: Baby Jagger will be closer to his aunt Sam (Mewis)!
More news
Trinity Rodman is once again *everywhere* during the NWSL break. After watching boyfriend Ben Shelton play tennis in Europe, the U.S. forward headed to Seattle to present the game ball ahead of the U.S. men’s pivotal game against Australia last Friday. She then headed over to T-Mobile Park to throw out the first pitch. The sequence of events is further grounds for why companies like Adidas are making Rodman their featured athlete.
Welcome to the Champions League, Wrexham. The Welsh women’s team was crowned league champions last spring, which means they will play in the qualifying tournament for the European competition. Experienced defender Sarah Harvey likes the team’s chances: “We’re not shy of the big games anymore.”
Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps is heading home, joining London City Lionesses on a two-year deal. The 33-year-old previously played for Paris Saint-Germain. Now, all the team needs is a big-name striker … 🤔
Angel City signed U.S. forward Ally Sentnor from Kansas City. The move comes just days after the Los Angeles club fired coach Alexander Straus. Sporting director Mark Parsons told us the two things were unrelated.
First Looks
Must-read: What if you could watch the World Cup like a three-time Ballon d’Or winner? That’s what Spain midfielder and 2023 Women’s World Cup champion Aitana Bonmati has offered with her unique insights and analysis while working in-studio with TUDN Mexico.
Money talks: Welsh forward Gareth Bale retired from soccer in 2023. He took his country to the 2016 Euros semifinal, won five Champions League trophies with Real Madrid, dazzled with Tottenham Hotspur and made his curtain call at LAFC. Now, the 36-year-old is ready for the next phase of his career: investing in women’s sports.
Leaked: Is this the ball for the 2027 tournament? Footy Headlines, a website notorious for finding jersey leaks, published a story with what could be several official ball designs to be used next year.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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