The eagerly awaited ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup is nearly here. Starting on July 20, the tournament will feature an exciting expanded format, welcoming 32 teams to showcase their skills in top-flight international football. Fans can look forward to a full month of thrilling matches and intense competition as the world’s best female footballers take the stage to compete for the prestigious title. The expanded format promises to bring even more excitement and diversity to the competition, making this edition a must-watch event for football enthusiasts worldwide.
The hosts of the FIFA Women’s World Cup
There will be two nations hosting the Women’s World Cup: Australia and New Zealand. Ten stadiums will host games in nine cities across these two countries. The Sydney Football Stadium and Stadium Australia (which will also host the final) are the only two venues available in Sydney. The remaining matches in Australia will be played in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. There will be games in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Hamilton in New Zealand.
The Qualified Teams
The qualified teams for the upcoming tournament are as follows:
- From the AFC (Asia): Australia, China, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, and Vietnam.
- From CAF (Africa): Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia.
- From CONCACAF (North and Central America and the Caribbean): Canada, Costa Rica, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, and the USA.
- From CONMEBOL (South America): Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.
- From the OFC (Oceania): New Zealand.
- From UEFA (Europe): Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
These talented teams from different regions will compete against each other, making the tournament a thrilling showcase of international football.
Which groups are there?
The group contains a number of intriguing pairings. Four-time champions USA will face ninth-ranked Netherlands in the 2019 final, which will be repeated. The match between France and Brazil is also much awaited because the former is the current South American champions and the latter is rated sixth in the globe.
What happens during the group stage?
Both of the hosts will play their respective opening matches on the first day. After then, there will be three or four games every day until August 3 in a genuine daily feast of football. The top two teams advance to the round of 16, where they will face the second-place club from the opposing group.
Who has won in the past?
The USA has won the competition four times, including in 2019, making them by far the most successful team. Norway and Japan each took home a single victory, while Germany won it twice, in 2007 and 2011.
What is the value of the award?
At the FIFA Congress, FIFA President Gianni Infantino declared that the prize money for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup would increase to $110 million from the previous year’s $30 million.
However, this is still significantly less than the $440m granted at the 2022 World Cup for men.
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