Australia and New Zealand will co-host the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will take place from July 20 to August 20, 2023.
32 nations will compete in the Women’s World Cup for the first time. Born as a 12-team tournament in 1991, it was expanded to include 16 countries in USA 1999 and 24 in Canada 2015.
After the group stage draw held in October 2022, the full match schedule for the tournament is set, with New Zealand v Norway as the opening match on July 20, and the final taking place on August 20.
What you should pay attention to:
The Netherlands could achieve something beautiful again
One of the most exciting attacking players of her generation, Dutch player Lieke Martens has a trophy-laden resume that matches her immense talent.
She has been a European champion at both club and national levels, won national league titles with Standard Liège, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain, and received a series of prestigious individual awards, including the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year award in 2017.
Although a major title has still eluded her, Martens has the opportunity to change that as the Netherlands seeks glory at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Australia & New Zealand 2023.
The Dutch team were runners-up in the previous World Cup – with Martens and company falling to the USA in the final – and the 30-year-old player reveals that she has imagined what it would be like to take a step further Down Under.
“Yes, you dream about it,” she tells FIFA. “And I think it’s very good to keep trying to make that dream come true.
“If we won, it would be complete. I would have achieved everything I’ve always dreamed of winning. It will be a tough challenge, but nothing is impossible. I will give everything I have to be as prepared as possible. I also trust this team. I just hope we can get into the rhythm.”
Expectations have soared in the Netherlands since their triumph at the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017. The final victory over Denmark – in which Martens scored on her way to being named Player of the Tournament – was watched by an audience of over five million in the Netherlands on TV, with an additional 500,000 tuning in for the World Cup final against the USA two years later. This equated to 88% of the Dutch audience.
Martens admits that the added pressure required some adjustment, but she is convinced that the team has the mindset to shine when the stakes are highest.
“Suddenly, after the EURO victory, people expect a lot from us,” she says. “I think we handle that well as a team. We have gradually grown into this, and we are still dealing with it.
“People expect us to always be able to fight for the big prizes, and we have set ourselves to that standard. The character of the team has returned, and maybe we can achieve something beautiful again in this Cup.”
The Netherlands’ status as a genuine global force in women’s football is a relatively recent development, with the Dutch qualifying for their first Women’s World Cup only in Canada 2015. Martens, then 22, scored the nation’s first goal in the tournament, netting a stunning winner in a 1-0 victory over New Zealand.
Brazil aims high in the Women’s World Cup despite Marta’s injuries
Marta has won the world’s best player award six times but has never won the Women’s World Cup in five previous attempts with Brazil.
It’s something she and the team want to change.
Marta is recovering from a knee injury, but the 37-year-old forward is expected to play a role in Brazil’s quest for the title.
Brazil, one of three South American teams in the tournament, is expected to advance to the knockout stage from Group F. The group also includes France, the team that eliminated the Brazilians four years ago in the Round of 16, Jamaica, and Panama.
USA favorites to win it all Down Under
Bettors are already deciding which roster they support in the tournament. And in the odds board, the current world champion, the United States, is at the top.
A year before the Cup, the US women were favorites at +200 to win it all, while England was second at +400. But the odds for the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) have lengthened to +275, and England’s have shortened to +350.
Led by a mix of veterans like captain Becky Sauerbrunn and supported by younger faces like Sophia Smith, many bettors are counting on these star athletes to create magic on the pitch again this year.
Source: FIFA, Fox Sports, and AP