FIFA Women’s World Cup preview

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand. The tournament begins on July 20, 2023. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Mia Badillo, Co-Editor-in-Chief
May 19, 2023

The beginning of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is approaching quickly, with the top teams and players preparing to battle for the prestigious title of world champions. 

This year’s tournament will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

The tournament will kick off on July 20, 2023, and will last until Aug. 20, 2023.

The opening match will feature New Zealand and Norway at Eden Park, Auckland. 

Although the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) are looking to defend their 2019 World Cup title, there are many other national teams on the rise.

With many new and old faces in the women’s soccer world, this tournament will be nothing short of historic and entertaining. 

Groups

The 32 national teams that qualified for the 2023 World Cup have been divided into eight groups of four teams. 

Here are the finalized groups for the tournament:

  • Group A: New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Switzerland
  • Group B: Australia, Canada, Nigeria, Republic of Ireland
  • Group C: Costa Rica, Japan, Spain, Zambia
  • Group D: China, Denmark, England, Haiti
  • Group E:  Netherlands, Portugal, United States, Vietnam
  • Group F: Brazil, France, Jamaica, Panama
  • Group G: Argentina, Italy, South Africa, Sweden
  • Group H: Colombia, Germany, South Korea, Morocco

Tournament format

The Group Stage will last from July 20 to Aug. 3, allowing the teams in each group to play each other once. 

The winner and runner-up of each group will advance to the Round of 16.

The eight winners of the matches in the Round of 16 will advance to the Quarter Finals.

The four winners of the Quarter Finals will advance to the Semi-Finals. 

Lastly, the two winners of the Semi-Finals will battle in the final of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The final will take place on Aug. 20 at Sydney Olympic Stadium in Australia. 

Potential TV blackout in Europe

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that five European countries might face a TV blackout if they do not increase their bids for TV rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The countries include Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

According to The Athletic, Infantino said broadcasters from the five countries offered £800,000 — £8 million ($1 million-$10 million) for the women’s tournament compared with the £80 million-£160 million ($100 million-$200 million) for the men’s.

Infantino said, “Public broadcasters in particular have a duty to promote and invest in women’s sport. 

Women deserve it; Simple as that.”

The controversy adds to the existing claims of gender inequality in the soccer world.

Time will tell if the five countries are willing to raise their bids before the beginning of the tournament.  

Tuning in

In the United States, Fox will broadcast all of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches in English.

Telemundo will broadcast the matches in Spanish. 

With fewer than 100 days left before the tournament, there is no better time than now to catch up on all things women’s soccer. 

Before July 20, be sure to pick a team to support and prepare the resources necessary to become a die-hard soccer fan.

May the best team win!

Information courtesy of ABC News, ESPN, FIFA, and The Athletic.