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Heading to Brazil 2027

The Women’s World Cup will be held next summer in Brazil. Spain, current champion, arrives as the best ranked team in the world. In the Sydney 2023 final, they beat England 1-0. Their squad includes Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmatí and Alexia Putellas, as well as the young Salma Paralluelo.

Rodri, a figure on the men’s team, praised Bonmatí after winning the men’s World Cup: “I’m trying to see if I can reach his level.”

The United States, four-time champions but eliminated in the round of 16 in 2023, is in second place in the ranking. They will host Spain in two friendlies in October, in preparation for CONCACAF qualifying in November.

“We know that Spain is an incredible team. I played against these players in the Champions League and I know how good they are,” said American midfielder Lily Yohannes.

The road to the tournament

Fourteen teams have already secured their ticket. Host Brazil has never won the women’s tournament. Former defender Aline Pellegrino, executive director of the World Cup, said: “Some time ago opportunities were not equal, but that is changing. This World Cup has enormous potential for that change.”

Brazilian captain Marta, all-time top scorer (122 goals), will be 41 years old during the tournament. He retired from the national team after the Paris Olympics, but returned for the Copa América.

The United States visited Brazil in June: they lost 2-1 in São Paulo and won 1-0 in Fortaleza. Coach Emma Hayes said the team needed “moments of chaos” in a hostile environment.

Classified teams

Australia, the Philippines, Japan, North Korea, China, South Korea, Argentina, Colombia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Spain and Denmark are already in. Germany, champions in 2003 and 2011, is in third place in the ranking.

Eight cities that hosted the 2014 men’s World Cup will host women’s matches: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador.

This will be the last women’s World Cup with 32 teams; In 2031 it will increase to 48. It is expected that this edition will be organized by the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica, with a formal decision in November.

The case reaches the TAS

Senegal will seek to regain the African Cup of Nations title won in January’s controversial final against Morocco. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reported on Friday that the hearing will take place on October 8 behind closed doors in Lausanne, Switzerland. There is still no date for the verdict, and judges usually take months to decide.

The case has generated great controversy in African football and politics. Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in extra time on January 18 in Rabat. Weeks later, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) awarded the title to Morocco, considering that Senegal lost by default after leaving the field to protest a penalty.

How the final developed

The drama broke out in added time. At 0-0, a penalty was awarded to Morocco and the Senegal players retired for 15 minutes. Attacker Sadio Mané convinced his team to return. The penalty was taken by Brahim Díaz with a Panenka-style shot, which was easily stopped by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. The match resumed and Senegal won.

The tension grew when Senegal had a goal disallowed minutes before the penalty. There were clashes between Moroccan police and Senegalese fans at the stadium. In May, King Mohammed VI pardoned 18 Senegalese fans who had been imprisoned for up to a year.

African football judges under the microscope

The CAF ruling ignored the rule that the referee’s decision is final. The judges cited a tournament rule that eliminates any team that refuses to play. Senegal refused for several minutes, but the referee did not suspend the match.

The decision fueled the perception that Morocco, co-host of the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, has growing influence in international soccer. The CAS will hear the case on October 8. The preparation for the audience was underway during the World Cup, where Morocco reached the quarterfinals and Senegal lost surprisingly to Belgium.

“The CAS cannot indicate at this stage when a final decision will be issued, but it will not be the day of the hearing,” the court said in a statement.

The Mexican cyclist Isaac del Toro wrote a historic chapter for the national sport by sneaking onto the podium of the Tour de France and winning the white jersey, a distinction that rewards the best rider under 26 years of age.

A meteoric rise

The rider from Baja California placed among the top three in the general classification of the most important cycling competition in the world. In addition, he won the recognition that consecrates the most outstanding young man of the French round.

Del Toro, 22, showed consistency in the mountain and time trial stages. His performance placed him as one of the revelations of the Tour, beating rivals with more experience in the peloton.

The white jersey had previously been worn by the Slovenian Tadej Pogačar and the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, both overall winners of the race. Now, the Mexican joins that list of precocious talents.

The UAE Team Emirates team, to which Del Toro belongs, celebrated the achievement. The board highlighted their discipline and ability to adapt. “It is an honor to see it grow,” said a spokesperson for the group.

With this result, Isaac del Toro becomes the second Mexican to reach the podium of the Tour de France, after Raúl Alcalá in the eighties. The difference: Alcalá never won the white jersey.

Mexican cycling is experiencing a sweet moment. Del Toro opens a window of hope for future generations. His next challenge will be to maintain the level in the autumn classics and look for a place on the podium of the Vuelta a España.