CHICAGO (Oct. 30, 2007) – FIFA announced on Tuesday that Brazil will host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Germany will stage the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The announcements were made after a meeting of the Executive Committee held in Zurich, Switzerland.

The selection of Brazil came as no surprise as after Colombia withdrew their bid, it was the only South American country with a bid to host the tournament under FIFA’s rotating system, an idea which a day earlier was abandoned starting with the 2018 tournament.

Brazil last hosted the World Cup in 1950, which included the USA’s 1-0 victory against England, considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of the tournament. Overall, Brazil has won the World Cup a record five times.

Two-time defending Women’s World Cup champion Germany beat out Canada, the only other remaining bidder of the two countries in the running to stage the women’s tournament in 2011. Germany held the highly successful 2006 FIFA World Cup less than two years ago.

Germany won the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup, defeating Sweden, 2-1, in overtime in the final and won the 2007 tournament, defeating Brazil, 2-0, in the championship game last Sept. 30 in Shanghai.

This will be the sixth Women’s World Cup staged by FIFA and just the second in Europe, after the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup was held in Sweden. Two Women’s World Cups have been held in China (1991, 2007) and two in the United States (1999, 2003).