The Maracanã makes unparalleled history as 2027 Women’s World Cup final venue

Last week, FIFA released the match schedule for the 2027 Women’s World Cup with 64 matches awaiting fans next summer across eight venues in Brazil. The legendary Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, better known as the Maracanã, will host the opener of the tournament along with the final, and in doing so, it will add yet another historic achievement to its vast list.

In hosting the final, it will join the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and the Råsunda (now demolished) in Stockholm as the only stadiums to host a World Cup final and a Women’s World Cup final. It will also join the Rose Bowl as the only stadiums to host a World Cup final, a Women’s World Cup final and an Olympic men’s soccer gold medal match. Finally, it will stand alone as the only venue to also host the Olympic women’s soccer gold medal match.

The 73,139 Maracanã is one of the most famous sports venues on earth, having hosted some of the most famous matches in club and international soccer. It hosted matches in the World Cup (1950, 2014), Copa América (1989, 2019, 2021), the 2013 Confederations Cup (including the final), Copa Libertadores final (2020, 2023) and 2016 Summer Olympics. 

One of the most famous soccer matches in international history was the 1950 World Cup final round match between Brazil and Uruguay that took place at the Maracanã. Back then, the Maracanã had a capacity of well over 150,000 people, but that match officially had 173,850 go through the turnstiles. Many people who were there claim that the actual attendance was easily over 200,000. Those fans bore witness to Uruguay shocking Brazil to win the 1950 World Cup. 

Above everything, the Maracanã is the heartbeat of Brazilian soccer. Some of its biggest clubs play there. The Fla-Flu, a derby between the main tenants Flamengo and Fluminense, is one of the greatest rivalries in world soccer. The 1963 derby set a world record for soccer attendance when 194,603 crammed inside the stadium to watch. Botafogo and Vasco da Gama have also played several matches in the Maracanã.

Pelé scored his 1,000th goal at the Maracanã. Brazil won its first ever gold medal in soccer within those walls, sending the country into a euphoria that it had waited decades to have. Brazil’s men’s team have clinched two Copa América titles and a Confederations Cup title in the Maracanã. Now, they hope that As Canarinhas can add to the history of the building by lifting a Women’s World Cup there.

It’s also had its share of heartbreak. In addition to losing the 1950 World Cup final round match in an upset to Uruguay, it lost in the 2021 Copa América final at the Maracanã to Argentina, allowing their arch rivals to lift the trophy for their first tournament title in 28 years. While the Maracanã is the cathedral of Brazilian soccer and the heartbeat of the nation’s incredible soccer culture, it has seen some matches that the memory has wiped from existence long before the history books ever will.

The Maracanã will host nine matches next summer during the 2027 Women’s World Cup. None will be bigger than the final. But there will be nine more opportunities for teams to add themselves to the section of the history books dedicated to this cathedral of soccer.