Brazil’s sports minister and former Olympic medalist Ana Moser will travel to Australia and New Zealand in the coming days to follow the national women’s football team at this year’s World Cup, which kicks off next Thursday.
In addition to cheering on the national team, Ms. Moser will use the trip to strengthen Brazil’s bid to host the next edition of the Women’s World Cup in 2027. But this is likely to be Ms. Moser’s last act in the cabinet, as the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is expected to undergo something of a makeover during this month’s legislative recess.
Under pressure from the “Big Center” — a group of rent-seeking political parties that will support any government if given the right incentives — the president is likely to fire Ms. Moser and replace her with Silvio Costa Filho.
Mr. Costa Filho belongs to the right-wing Republicans party, which is linked to evangelical Christian groups. But the potential future sports minister is also the son of former congressman Silvio Costa, who has a good relationship with Lula.
Brazil’s bid is one of four to host the premier women’s football tournament, competing with Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, the U.S. and Mexico, and a solo bid from South Africa.
The selected host country (or countries) will be announced on May 17 next year.
Brazil will begin its World Cup campaign on July 24, when the women’s team takes on Panama in Adelaide. That will be followed by matches against France (ranked fifth in the world) and minnows Jamaica.
The tournament opens on July 20 when co-hosts New Zealand take on Norway in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd at Eden Park in Auckland.
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