Embratur launches the Football Route and promotes Brazil as a sports tourism destination

Football, one of the most recognized symbols of Brazilian culture worldwide, is being integrated into a new tourism promotion strategy for the country. Embratur, Brazil's official tourism promotion agency, launched the Football Route, a digital platform that brings together itineraries inspired by the history, locations, and experiences linked to the nation's most popular sport. The content is available on an official website and also on the agency's social media channels.

The Football Route was created with the aim of transforming the global passion for this sport into a structured tourism experience. It is a digital guide that offers suggested tours and activities so visitors can discover Brazil through its football culture, including historic stadiums, museums, club headquarters, traditional bars frequented by fans, and other spaces linked to the memory and experience of football, as the country prepares to host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2027. Brazil will be the first South American country to host the tournament in its tenth edition, in which 32 teams will compete for the title.

The project begins in Rio de Janeiro, a city that is home to some of the country's most iconic stadiums and clubs, such as the famous Maracanã, and which boasts a strong football tradition. The idea is for this initiative to function as a pilot project, with the potential to expand to other Brazilian destinations.

Digital platform

The platform was developed by Embratur through EmbraturLAB, the Agency's innovation lab. The site will be multilingual and responsive, serving as an organized showcase of the Brazilian football ecosystem. It will bring together key information in one place to guide the experience of international tourists interested in this segment.

The portal will include content about stadiums, clubs, museums, bars, and other football-related experiences, organized by criteria such as interests, commemorative dates, and location, as well as links to purchasing channels. The goal is to show visitors how football permeates different aspects of daily life in Brazil.

Promotion strategy

The Football Route is part of Embratur's strategy to position Brazil as a leading sports and cultural tourism destination in the international market, as the flow of international tourists reaches new records. The project will be promoted through international campaigns, as well as initiatives targeting the tourism industry, the press, and content creators specializing in travel and sports.

The initiative also aligns with Embratur's 60th anniversary celebrations and the activities of the Agency's "Innovation Month." By organizing football-related experiences within a structured tourism product, the aim is to offer foreign visitors a new way to discover Brazil, exploring its history, landscapes, and cultural expressions through one of the country's most iconic passions.

Tourism on the rise

The new initiative comes at a time of significant growth in international tourism in Brazil. The country recorded a record 9.2 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2025, the highest volume ever recorded.

The result represents a significant growth of 37.1% compared to 2024, the year that previously held the all-time record with approximately 6.7 million international visitors. These figures demonstrate that Brazil is consolidating its position as an increasingly competitive and attractive destination on the global tourism scene. And in addition to its unique beaches and landscapes, Brazil offers a wide range of cultural and sporting activities, traditional festivals, and a diverse cuisine that attracts travelers from every continent.

Source: EMBRATUR.