The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand kicks off today, and fans all across the world are finally ready to cheer on their home country. The best of the best have been ready to compete for the biggest prize in women’s football – and the journey finally begins.
Teams arrived a week ago to settle in and let the jet lag pass, so it’s time to see who made the most out of their free practice time. To learn more about the tournament or if you need a quick catch up on everything surrounding the Women’s FIFA World Cup, keep reading.
This year’s Women’s World Cup is set to be the most attended standalone women’s sporting event in history – more than one million tickets and counting have been sold. The tournament kicks off today (July 20th) in Australia and New Zealand, and the last match will be played on August 20th. Over the next month you’ll get to see games be played across venues in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Auckland, Wellington, and more.
Not only will this be one of the biggest women’s sporting events in history, but it’s also the first time there’ll be 32 nations competing – the same amount as the men’s tournament. In the previous 2015 and 2019 tournaments, only 24 nations competed for the trophy.
Unless you’re currently in Australia or New Zealand catching the action in-person, you might be wondering how you can watch the tournament. For us Canadians, each match will be broadcasted on TSN, and you can also stream it on TSN.ca or the TSN App. CTV will also feature live coverage of the tournament throughout the month.
For a full schedule of the dates and times of the matches, check out the schedule that TSN has provided. You can also find a full schedule on FIFA’s website with links on where you can watch the matches, no matter what country you’re in.
The tournament will function the exact same as the men’s with group stages, round of 16, quarterfinals, semi-finals, and the final. The eight fixtures of teams include:
New Zealand
Norway
Philippines
Switzerland
Australia
Republic of Ireland
Nigeria
Canada
Spain
Costa Rica
Zambia
Japan
England
Haiti
Denmark
China PR
USA
Vietnam
Netherlands
Portugal
France
Jamaica
Brazil
Panama
Sweden
South Africa
Italy
Argentina
Germany
Morocco
Colombia
Korea Republic
While no one can predict the future, and there are always underdogs in any tournament, there are some nations that have a good chance at taking home the trophy. Many people have placed their bets on who it’ll be, but only time can tell.
With 32 teams competing, it’s difficult to count anyone out at a chance to win. Reigning Olympic champions, Canada, could make an international comeback, or Brazil may push through to give Marta the title she needs – seeing that this will be her last World Cup.
Out of the 32 teams competing, here are a few teams that are considered to be leading contenders:
The Lionesses have the entirety of England cheering for them as reigning European Champions. They have what it takes to take home the trophy with world-class talent and a coach who has some amazing tactics.
While they have yet to win a World Cup title, the Lionesses have impressive strength in every position. The only thing holding them back is that some of their key players are out on injury – Leah Williamson, Beth Mead, and Fran Kirby.
The USWNT is no doubt a leading contender as reigning back-to-back World Cup champions. They’re on the hunt to become the first nation ever – both men and women – to win three consecutive World Cup titles. With 4 titles already up their sleeves, will they be able to pull off a historical win.
The USWNT have some glorious young talent and experienced veterans to accompany their squad. Players including Alex Morgan, Trinity Rodman, Lindsey Horan, and Sophia Smith are some of their key performers to keep an eye on.
Aside from the USWNT, Germany is second in line with two past Women’s World Cup titles. They were runners-up at the 2022 UEFA Women's EURO and have a strong squad behind them.
They have some of the strongest female players – both German and worldwide – stacked on their team who don’t shy away from a tackle or a challenge. With goalkeeper Merle Frohms in front of their net, it’s going to be difficult for any team to get the ball past her.
Australia may be a co-host for the tournament, but they have also raised their level of play over the past few seasons. They’ve put on some noteworthy performances this year with a carefully crafted squad capable of challenging the other teams.
Although they’ve never made it past the World Cup quarterfinals, they’re equipped with their best squad yet and home support. Their headliners Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, and Steph Catley are ready to win the title in their home country.
Now that the tournament has finally begun, don’t let the excitement slow down. Catch as many games as you can and cheer on your nation from your living room or in-person! Best of all, immerse yourself in the FIFA World Cup with the official Panini Stickers and Card collections. Search for your favorite players or even the ones you learn to love, and keep track of them all in your official album.
Head over to SoccerCards.ca to find all of the Panini essentials you’ll need to build your dream team!
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