The 2023 Women’s World Cup will be held from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
Here’s everything you need to know about this tournament
What is special about this year’s tournament?
The 2023 World Cup will be the most watched women’s sporting event in history, with more than 1 million tickets already sold.
How many teams will participate?
The World Cup was born as a 12-team tournament in 1991, before expanding to 16 teams in 1999 and 24 teams in the 2015 championship.
This year’s championship will be the biggest, with 32 teams, compared to 24 in the previous two editions.
Who is the reigning champion?
The United States of America are the defending champions and will aim to win their third title in a row. Germany has won the Cup twice, while Japan and Norway have won once.
How much are the rewards?
The total prize money is 110 million dollars, about 300% more than that made available by FIFA in the 2019 tournament. Each player will be guaranteed at least 30 thousand dollars.
The total price per appearance is significantly lower than that offered at the men’s World Cup last year, where the total price was $440 million.
What are the favorite teams?
The United States of America, the defending champions, are favorites to win a third straight title, something no team has achieved before.
The American team is missing a few players due to injury, but has a good mix of young players and experience in the squad.
England, who won the European Championship last year, are also favourites, although the team is missing some key players such as captain Leah Williamson and Beth Mead due to injuries.
France, with new coach Herve Renard, is another favourite, along with Germany and Spain.
Australia is also the favorite, thanks to the home advantage.
Who are the players to keep an eye on?
Sam Kerr (Australia), Sophia Smith (United States of America), Aitana Bonmati (Spain), Eugenie Le Sommer (France), Alexia Putellas (Spain), Lena Oberdorf (Germany), Barbra Banda (Zambia), Rachel Daly (England), Asisat Oshaola (Nigeria), Yui Hasegawa (Japan), Wang Shuang (China).
Which key players will be missing due to injuries?
Janine Beckie (Canada), Amandine Henry, Delphine Cascarino, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, (France), Fran Kirby, Leah Williamson, Beth Mead (England), Becky Sauerbrunn, Sam Mewis, Catarina Macario, Mallory Swanson, Christen Press (USA), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands).
