The ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in Auckland, New Zealand, this Thursday (20). Co-host New Zealand faces Norway in the opening match.
From July 20 to August 20, 32 teams will compete in 64 matches across 10 different venues, making this year’s tournament the largest to date.
The US Women’s National Team arrives as two-time champions and is undoubtedly the favorite to secure a third consecutive title and a total of five.
However, many expect this year’s World Cup to be a much tighter competition compared to previous editions.
Where will it be held?
For the first time, the Women’s World Cup will be held in two countries: Australia and New Zealand. It is also the first time the tournament will take place in the Southern Hemisphere.
The matches will occur in six stadiums in Australia – in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney – and four in New Zealand – in Dunedin, Auckland, Hamilton, and Wellington.
The final will be at Stadium Australia in Sydney, which has a capacity of 81,500 people.
Last month, ticket sales for the tournament surpassed the previous edition held in France, making it the largest attended women’s sporting event in history, according to FIFA.
More than one million tickets were sold by June, but most of them were purchased for matches in Australia. Ticket sales in New Zealand are lower, which FIFA attributes to the sport’s lesser popularity in that country.
How to watch?
In the United States, the matches will be broadcast by FOX Sports, while Telemundo offers coverage in Spanish.
A complete list of media rights holders in each country is available on FIFA’s website.
Who is competing?
A record 32 teams will participate in the World Cup, eight more than in the last two editions. This includes familiar teams – the United States, two-time champion Germany, European champion England, and runner-up Netherlands – as well as eight debuting teams: Haiti, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Vietnam, and Zambia.
Who are the favorites?
According to sports data company Gracenote, the United States is favored to win the tournament with an 18% chance of success.
However, this year’s edition promises to be more competitive, with Sweden and Germany at an 11% chance of winning, France at 9%, and England, Spain, and Australia at 8%, according to the survey.
Players to watch
Australia and Chelsea forward Sam Kerr will carry the expectations of a nation. This tournament will likely present Australia’s best chance to advance past the quarter-finals of a Women’s World Cup for the first time, and captain Kerr is at the center of the team’s spotlight.
For some veterans of women’s soccer, this tournament will mark the end of an era. Brazilian superstar Marta, 37, is set to conclude her international career, having scored a record 17 goals in the Women’s World Cup, while US player Megan Rapinoe has also announced she will retire after what will be her fourth and final World Cup.
At 34, Alex Morgan is also among the older players on the US team and joins young forwards Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Alyssa Thompson, all looking to impress during their debuts in a World Cup.
The prize
FIFA announced that the prize money for the tournament will increase to $110 million. An additional $31 million has been granted to teams for preparation and $11 million to clubs for their players.
The $110 million prize money is nearly three times the amount awarded in 2019 and almost seven times more than in 2015, but still considerably less than the total prize of $440 million awarded at the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said earlier this year that he hopes the men’s World Cup in 2026 and the women’s World Cup in 2027 will have equal prize money.
Source: CNN