MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Women's World Cup, flexible working hours for Brazilian civil servants to support the Canarinhas

The Brazilian government has announced civil servants can turn up to work four hours late when the national side – who go by the nickname As Canarinhas — contests the Women's World Cup tournament, co hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

“On days when the games are held at 8am, the working hours will start at 12pm Brasilia time,” Brazil's Minister of Management and Innovation in Public Services Esther Dweck said.

“On days when the games are held at 7am, the working hours will start at 11am Brasilia time.”

When Brazil plays Panama in its World Cup opener in Adelaide at 9pm AEST on Monday, it will be 8:30am in Rio de Janeiro

“As the games in Brazil will be on very early in the morning, I'll watch it at home and probably only with the dog, as my husband will have already left for work,” Gabriela Guerra told ABS Sports in Rio.

Brazil is a football-obsessed nation and As Canarinhas is the most successful national women's team in South America. They have won eight out of nine Copa América Femenina championships and claimed two Olympic silver medals.

“Football is almost a religion for Brazilians,” Guerra said. “We are big lovers. This sport occupies a large part of our social lives, our TV programs, our conversations and our emotions.”

The national women's squad, however, have not always been front of mind for supporters and the country as a whole.

“I'm super excited about what these girls can show the country,” Guerra said.

“They inspire us to dream and get where we want, because women's football has never been as valued as men's here in Brazil. So they are fighters.”

Ranked eighth in the world, Brazil will bring that fighting spirit to the World Cup, hoping to go further at the tournament than it has before.

Brazil also has one of the greatest players in the history of the game, Marta.

The 37-year-old is the leading goal scorer at World Cups with 17 to her name and this year is her sixth appearance at the tournament.

Brazil has contested eight World Cups, highlighted by its runner-up finish in 2007 when it lost 2-0 to Germany at the tournament hosted by China.

As Canarinhas have bowed out at the last two World Cups in the round of 16.

After facing Panama in Group F, Brazil takes on France in Brisbane on July 29 before travelling to Melbourne, where it meets Jamaica on August 2.