The 2023 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup is just 5 days away, with this year’s tournament kicking off on July 20 as co-hosts New Zealand and Australia open up the group stages against Norway and the Republic of Ireland respectively. The month-long tournament will draw the curtain on August 20 with the final taking place in Sydney.
This tournament is set to be groundbreaking, as it will feature 32 teams—an unprecedented number in women’s football history! The expansion of the tournament reflects the growing popularity and importance of the women’s game.
With Australia and New Zealand set to make history, Brazil is determined to secure their first-ever championship, whilst the USA seek a remarkable hat trick of titles. We take a look at five teams you should keep an eye on to go all the way.
United States Women’s National Team (USWNT)
The United States are the two-time defending world champions and the only country to win four World Cup titles. Vlakto Andonovski’s side unsurprisingly head into the tournament ranked No. 1 on the FIFA world rankings.
Laced with football stars like Megan Rapinoe and the ever-firing Alex Morgan, it is safe to say the USWNT are clear favourites for the tournament.
There are plenty of familiar faces on this year’s roster as the United States attempts to become the first team — men or women — to win three straight World Cup titles.
Midfielder Lindsey Horan and experienced defender Kelly O’Hara will also be putting their leadership skills to the test with the USWNT roster laced with 14 players who have no World Cup experience.
Sadly ‘The Gals’ as they like to call themselves are without their captain Becky Sauerbrunn, who is out with a foot injury.
Sauerbrunn inspired the USWNT backline in each of the last two World Cups. Her absence, especially as the unquestioned leader of the squad, is perhaps the biggest obstacle in another trophy lift.
Other notable injury absences are Mallory Swanson, Christen Press and Tobin Heath.
The United States are in Group E, alongside Vietnam, Netherlands and Portugal. They open their title defence facing Vietnam from Eden Park in Auckland on July 22.
England
The Lionesses under Sarina Wiegman have been nothing but sensational. Reaching for the star, this England team have been able to claim the UEFA Euro Women’s championship alongside the Women’s Finalissima.
Laced with a squad that reached the semifinals in each of the last two World Cups, the Lionesses cannot be overlooked as one of the favourites at the World Cup.
The Lionesses will count on the expertise of Barcelona’s right-back Lucy Bronze, who is currently the most experienced on the squad with 104 international appearances. Bronze was awarded the Silver Ball at the 2019 tournament as the second-best player of the World Cup behind America’s Megan Rapinoe.
The 31-year-old was selected despite having knee surgery in April. Millie Bright, who has been out of the squad since March because of her own knee injury, is back and the centre-back will captain England. She’ll wear the armband in Leah Williamson’s absence. The Arsenal defender is one of three big losses due to injury, joining forward Beth Mead, who was the Euro 2022 top scorer, and Chelsea midfielder Fran Kirby.
England (drawn into Group D with Haiti, Denmark and China) will open their tournament against Haiti at Lang Park in Brisbane on July 22. They are ranked No. 4 in the most recent FIFA world rankings.
France
Ranked No. 5 in the latest FIFA world rankings, France are on a quest to win their first World Cup title in what is their fifth appearance.
On home soil in 2019, France defeated Brazil to set up a quarterfinal meeting with the United States in Paris, the French team were overpowered by the eventual winners 2-1. It was the second straight tournament France exited in the quarterfinals at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Les Bleues’ best finish at the World Cup remains their fourth-place finish in 2011 (following a 3-1 loss to the USWNT in the semifinals).
Now under the management of serial winner Herve Renard, who guided Saudi Arabia’s men’s national team to a historic win over eventual champions Argentina in the group stage in Qatar, France will be counting on the skill and experience of Lyon defender Wendie Renard and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kadidiatou Diani, who has 22 goals in 88 international appearances.
Veteran forward Eugenie Le Sommer recently got a recall to the national team after her prolonged exile from the team. The 34-year-old Lyon forward has found the back of the net 88 times in 177 appearances for Les Bleues.
Renard is set to be without former France captain Amandine Henry and Paris Saint-Germain forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who sustained a knee injury in last summer’s Euros, as well as Lyon forward Delphine Cascarino, who suffered a partially torn ACL.
France are in Group F with Jamaica, former World Cup finalist Brazil and Panama, They start their campaign on July 23 against the Reggae Girlz from Jamaica at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney.
Germany
Just like the USA, Germany are the only other nation to win consecutive World Cups, doing so in 2003 and 2007. Four years ago, Germany were ousted by Sweden in the quarterfinals. Led by former forward Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, ‘Die Nationalelf’ are currently ranked No. 2 in the latest FIFA world rankings.
The two-time World Cup champions also wear the favourite tag going into the tournament.
Voss-Tecklenburg, who played for Germany at the first FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991, has named a squad led by star striker and captain Alexandra Popp (who has 61 goals in 127 international appearances) and includes 10 players from Wolfsburg, who made the 2023 Champions League final. Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz, one of three players not to compete domestically in Germany, returns after missing the Euro 2022 due to pregnancy.
Sadly Giulia Gwinn, who won the FIFA Young Player Award in 2019, will miss the World Cup after suffering a second torn ACL in October.
Germany, placed in Group H along with Morocco, Colombia and South Korea, play their opener on July 24 against Morocco at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne.
Nigeria
Never far from the murky waters of controversies, the Super Falcons are caught in wrangles of unpaid bonuses, and ill preparations.
The 11-time African champions are set to participate in their 9th World Cup tournament — one of only seven teams to achieve this feat.
The Super Falcon’s best outing at the World Cup remains their quarter-final showing in 1999 led by Coach Ismaila Mabo.
Coming into this showing after recently faltering to both South Africa and Morocco in crunch time at the WAFCON, expectations for the Super Falcons are arguably at their lowest.
The perennial ghost of owed bonuses and administrative interference hovers over the Super Falcons once again. In a recent interview on the Sounding off on Soccer podcast, Randy Waldrum, the head coach, lifted the lid on the pressure he has faced over his final squad list and criticised the lack of preparation ahead of the World Cup.
The team however will find solace in the fact that Coach Waldrum has a squad crammed with talent, especially in the attack. Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala is on the finest of patches recording 21 goals in her last 28 league appearances for Barcelona Feminine ahead of the tournament and has just won the Champions League. She has a great support cast, including Atlético Madrid’s Rasheedat Ajibade and Saint-Étienne’s Esther Okoronkwo.
Currently ranked 40th according to the latest FIFA World ranking, Nigeria remains Africa’s best-placed team to make a case for the continent at the Mundial. The Super Falcons, with an outside shot to claim the gold, are placed in group B alongside Canada, Ireland and Australia. They kick off their campaign on July 21st against 7th-ranked Canada at the AAMI Park in Melbourne, Australia.
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