The road to the 2027 World Cup is long and winding for all teams hoping to qualify \u2013 apart from the hosts, Brazil. Having won their ninth Copa Am\u00e9rica Femenina in the summer, their next major tournament will be the World Cup in 20 months.<\/p>\n
That may seem like a long time but the head coach, Arthur Elias, is aware that every minute of preparation counts, starting with their friendlies against England in Manchester on Saturday and then Italy in Parma on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
By facing European opposition, Elias hopes his players will be able to test themselves in different conditions and against different playing styles to those most of them experience back home. It is also an opportunity to test themselves against one of the best teams in the world. \u201cThese games are really important for us to see how we behave collectively when facing different teams with different styles,\u201d he said at the squad announcement. \u201cWe are at a stage where we are consolidating our team identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re playing against two great European teams. England have won the past two Euros and Italy reached the semis last time around and played really well. We have taken that into account when we selected this squad. We want to give opportunities to younger payers. Our average age is now 24 years old, which we think is ideal when looking ahead to 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elias does not have all his key players available. He was expecting to be without Real Madrid\u2019s Ant\u00f4nia and Manchester City\u2019s Kerolin because of injuries but since the squad announcement he has also lost Atl\u00e9tico Madrid\u2019s Gio Garbelini and her replacement, Debinha of KC Current. S\u00e3o Paulo\u2019s 22-year-old forward Isabelle Caroline has been called up.<\/p>\n
Arthur Elias led his side to a 2-1 victory over the United States in April after a stoppage time winner. It was Brazil\u2019s first win over the Americans in 11 years. Photograph: Erin Chang\/ISI Photos\/USSF\/Getty Images for USSF<\/p>\n
Elias received international recognition in 2024 when he took Brazil to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics and was one of three finalists for The Best Fifa Women\u2019s coach, finishing only behind England\u2019s Sarina Wiegman and Barcelona\u2019s Jonatan Gir\u00e1ldez.<\/p>\n
Since their achievement at the Olympics, Brazilian players have had more visibility abroad with record transfers to the NWSL as well as European leagues. The 24-year-old Isabela Chagas may make her senior national team debut against England after completing a \u20ac300,000 (\u00a3260,000) move from Cruzeiro to Paris Saint-Germain, a record sale for the Brazilian team.<\/p>\n
The trajectory is clearly upwards but the game against the Lionesses at the Etihad Stadium will be a challenge. \u201cEngland are a team we studied quite well, and will test us at the highest level,\u201d Elias says. \u201cThey will test our attack, since they have a good, compact defence, and we will need to worry about the quality of their attacking players. Having said that, they will have to deal with our quality too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The last time the two teams faced each other was in 2023 for the inaugural Women\u2019s Finalissima \u2013 between the Copa Am\u00e9rica and Euro champions \u2013 with England winning on penalties after a pulsating 1-1 draw. Back then, Brazil were coached by Pia Sundhage who liked to play with a back five.<\/p>\n
Kerolin, seen here evading a challenge from Ella Toone during the 2023 Women\u2019s Finalissima match, will miss Brazil\u2019s return to England after picking up an injury last month. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The Guardian<\/p>\n
Expect a more proactive attacking approach under Elias. His teams may vary in style but they consistently look to get on the front foot. It can leave them exposed, though, as happened in the Copa Am\u00e9rica final against Colombia, where they scored four but conceded as many and needed penalties to secure the win. \u201cEngland and Italy have very different styles,\u201d he says \u201cand facing them in such a short period of time is a challenge. We will need, in one training session, to put a different system in place, with different players\u2019 characteristics, so we can win both games.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the moment, with 20 months still to go before a home World Cup, Elias\u2019s plan is to test his team as much as possible. He wants to consolidate a squad, but also create options for the future of the Brazilian national team. \u201cWe have made 10 changes to the team that just won the Copa Am\u00e9rica. I believe that is a good place to be for our preparation for 2027.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talking points<\/p>\n
A new start: The first South American Women\u2019s Nations League begins on Friday. The qualifying for the 2027 World Cup will see two teams secure their places at the tournament with two more through to the intercontinental playoffs. Running until June, the Women\u2019s Nations League features all South American national teams apart from Brazil. The opening round sees Colombia face Peru, Bolivia meet Ecuador, Venezuela take on Chile and Argentina play Paraguay.<\/p>\n
Football Manager: The popular video game will now include women\u2019s football leagues as options. Football Manager 26, releasing next month, will feature 14 women\u2019s leagues worldwide \u2013 a move that Tina Keech, who leads the development of women\u2019s football metrics for the game, hopes will attract more female players. \u201cIt\u2019s actually just enhancing the game and making it a good experience, a different experience,\u201d she told AFP. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long time coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fourteen women\u2019s leagues will feature in Football Manager 26.Footage from Football Manager 26.<\/p>\n
Big plans: The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica have submitted a joint bid to host the 2031 Women\u2019s World Cup. The four-nation Concacaf proposal aims to build on the growing momentum of women\u2019s football, \u201cinspiring future generations of players and fans across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean,\u201d said the Concacaf president, Victor Montagliani. The hosts for the 2031 and 2035 editions of the tournament will be announced in April at the Fifa Congress in Vancouver with England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales the sole bidders for the latter.<\/p>\n
Recommended listening<\/p>\n
Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Wrack and Sophie Downey to discuss a week of big-name retirements, England\u2019s return to action, and the financial future of the women\u2019s game with the football finance expert Kieran Maguire. Listen here.<\/a><\/p>\n Recommended viewing<\/p>\n China\u2019s Chen Ruilin\u2019s stunning free-kick<\/a> was the first goal scored by her national team in the Under-17 Women\u2019s World Cup. It set the tone for a dominant debut, as China went on to defeat Norway 5-0 in their opening match of the 2025 tournament.<\/p>\n Quote of the day<\/p>\n \u201cIn the end, I just felt that I wouldn\u2019t be able to commit to the cycles as much as I have in the past, and that\u2019s not who I am. If I commit to something, I like to commit to it full throttle, and I just felt I couldn\u2019t really do that, so I knew it was the right time to walk away. It\u2019s time for the new group to take Wales forward, and when you put that all together, it really was an easy decision\u201d \u2013 Jess Fishlock to the BBC about her decision to retire from international football.<\/p>\n Still want more?<\/p>\n Suzanne Wrack sits down to speak to Lucia Kendell<\/a>, the piano-playing psychology student who is hoping to make her England debut against Brazil on Saturday.<\/p>\n Matthew Hall looks back at Bend It Like Beckham<\/a> and while not wishing to cancel it, far from it, he points out that there is a very worrying coach\/player relationship in it.<\/p>\n Can a returning Sam Kerr<\/a> lift the Matildas? She may be their only chance, argues Jack Snape.<\/p>\n