Missing the World Cup? Don't worry, next summer it's the women's turn

It's the women's turn now.

The next World Cup on the calendar is the women's edition, set for next summer in Brazil. Just as Spain won the men's trophy little over a week ago, its women's team was crowned champion three years ago.

Currently the top-ranked women's team, Spain beat England 1-0 in the 2023 Women's World Cup final in Sydney.

That squad was loaded with talent, including Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, as well as young star Salma Paralluelo.

In a television interview following the men's final, Spain star Rodri paid Bonmati the ultimate compliment: "I'm trying to see if I can get to her level."

The memories of 2023 aren't so sweet for the United States, which was knocked out of the tournament in the round of 16 by Sweden. Still, the US has won four World Cup titles and is currently ranked No 2 in the world.

The US will host Spain twice in October, serving as a tuneup for CONCACAF qualifying, which starts in late November in Texas. The friendly matches against Spain could provide a glimpse of what both teams might look like next summer.

"We know Spain is an amazing team, and I think we're just really looking forward to having this prep. Especially before qualifying," said US midfielder Lily Yohannes. "And yeah, I think it will be a really great opportunity for us. Playing these players, I played against them in the Champions League, and I know how great they are."

The road to Brazil

Qualification for the World Cup is well under way, with 14 teams already securing berths. Brazil, which has an automatic spot as host, has never won the women's tournament.

"Some time ago the opportunities for men and women were not equal. But that's changing. This World Cup has tremendous potential to make that change truly happen," said former Brazil defender Aline Pellegrino, now executive director of legacy and stakeholder affairs for the Women's World Cup in Brazil. "So there's a great deal of excitement and expectation that we'll have the best possible atmosphere in our stadiums, just as we recently saw in the two matches between the Brazilian national team and the US.

"FIFA, together with the federal government and the host cities, has been working very hard to ensure that we'll have full stadiums and that everything runs as efficiently as possible."

The biggest question around the Brazilians is the status of veteran captain Marta, the nation's all-time leading scorer with 122 goals. Marta retired from international soccer following Brazil's 1-0 loss to the US in the gold-medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but returned the following year for the Copa America Femenina.

She will be 41 when her nation hosts the World Cup.

The US visited Brazil for a pair of matches in June, falling 2-1 in Sao Paulo, before snatching a 1-0 victory in Fortaleza.

US coach Emma Hayes said the team needed to embrace those "moments of chaos" in a hostile environment.

Who's in so far?

Australia, the Philippines, Japan, DPRK, China, ROK, Argentina, Colombia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Spain and Denmark are among the nations that have qualified. Germany, the 2003 and 2011 world champion, is ranked No 3 globally.

Brazil hosted both the men's World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. All eight cities that will host women's matches next year also hosted men's games in 2014: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador.

Next year's tournament will be the last to feature 32 teams before jumping up to 48 teams like the men's tournament.

The 2031 Women's World Cup is expected to be co-hosted by the US, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica. The formal decision will likely be announced in November.