FIFA Women’s World Cup: 5 Things to Note Ahead of the Football Mundial

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is upon us. Australia and New Zealand are set to make history, Brazil is determined to secure their first-ever championship, while the USA aims to achieve a remarkable hat trick of titles. The frenzy is in the air and the whole world is buzzing.

Ensuring you do not miss a thing from the football Mundial which is slated for 20th July to 20th August, Sports Brief takes a look at five facts ahead of the Women’s World Cup.

First co-hosted Women’s World Cup

The 2023 edition of the Women’s World Cup is set to be the first Women’s World Cup hosted by joint nations as Australia and New Zealand welcome teams from all corners of the world.

This edition of the tournament will also be the first senior World Cup to have more than one host since the 2002 men’s tournament held in Japan and South Korea.

Of course, this won’t be the last multi-destination competition, as the men’s edition in 2026 will be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

New Zealand is set to host games featuring Group A, C, E, and F and the pathway for their own country should they qualify for the knockout stage while Australia will host the majority of the knockout phase, including the third-place playoff and the final.

The Biggest Women’s World Cup

The edition set to be hosted as reported by 90mins will have a stacked field of 32 teams. Previous editions have had fewer teams, with the first edition in 1991 only having 12 participants. With the World Cup expanding, each confederation has a much larger pool of teams to qualify.

UEFA has 12 representatives this summer, CONCACAF and the AFC both have six, CAF will send four teams from Africa, CONMEBOL has three South American sides, and the only OFC team is New Zealand, one of the hosts. This expansion will prove a daunting test for the US Women’s national team who hope to defend their title for the second time.

The home advantage factor

According to reports from NBC Sports, only one team has finished as the World Cup winners while playing on home soil, and that was back in 1999 when the USA defeated China on penalties at the Rose Bowl.

Australia led by Chelsea’s Sam Kerr are one of the tournament’s top picks, having defeated European Champions England earlier this year, and could buck this trend. New Zealand would, however, have to lift the trophy away from home as the final will take place in Sydney, Australia.

Best European Football team: Which is the best European Squad for the upcoming World Cup and why?

Football

Asian teams representing the AFC have typically done better outside their own continent. China reached the final four in Sweden and the USA but didn’t do as well when they hosted the tournament in 1991 and 2007.

While never hosting the tournament themselves, Japan has done better when out of the confederation range, having lifted the title in Germany and then coming second in Canada. Australia is technically in the AFC jurisdiction but geographically might still be enough distance for them to do well if history is anything to go by.

Marta’s World Cup goal haul

The Brazilian attacker and six-time FIFA Player of the Year is dubbed by many as the greatest female footballer of all time, Now, 37 years old, the forward has had to adapt her game to fit the newer pace while also preserving her own body.

She’s the all-time top scorer in the competition with 17 goals and with Brazil drawn into a group with both Jamaica and Panama, Marta could be rubbing her hands at the prospect of bolstering her own record.

The star forward will most likely partner with her compatriot and Orlando Pride teammate, Adriana. The Brazilian attacking duo has been one of the better partnerships for the Brazilian in 2023 the addition of Barcelona’s rising star Geyse, and Andressa Alves from Roma would also come in handy for the Brazilians who are on course for their first World Cup triumph.

Debut for new nations

The recent tournament expansion has created more spots to play, allowing multiple nations to debut on the world stage.

Specifically, this year, the Philippines, Vietnam, Morocco, Zambia, Haiti, Panama, Portugal, and the Republic of Ireland will all play for the first time.

Australia’s first match is against the Republic of Ireland in what could be one of the key matches throughout the group stage. The Philippines, Vietnam, and Zambia are especially notable, as none of their male counterparts have qualified for a World Cup prior.

Without a doubt that the Women’s World Cup this summer will be one to remember.

Jean-Francois out of France's squad

The Paris Saint-German midfielder has earned three caps for France but had been struggling for several weeks with an adductor problem.

Goalkeeper Mylene Chavas and 39-times capped central defender Aïssatou Tounkara missed the cut but stay on the reserve list until July 22, the eve of France's opener against Jamaica in Sydney.