The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup draw was held early on Saturday, Oct. 22, in Auckland, New Zealand. The 2023 edition will be the largest Women’s World Cup, expanded to 32 teams. Furthermore, this Women’s World Cup will be the first to have two co-hosts with Australia and New Zealand. Teams with key veterans could be the difference in advancing further in the tournament.
Below are the early predictions on who will advance from each group, followed by a look at the potential matches in the knockout rounds. Included in the group breakdown are the current FIFA rankings for each team. The remaining three spots will be decided at the intercontinental playoffs in February in New Zealand.
Tazuni has been announced as the official mascot of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year ⚽
— ESPN Australia & NZ (@ESPNAusNZ) October 18, 2022
🗣️ “The football-loving teenage penguin will bring the excitement of the tournament and inspire a new generation of fans.” pic.twitter.com/VpcFMx6QRb
Group A
1. Norway (12): Top-ranked team in the group and should easily advance behind veteran Maren Mjelde.
2. Switzerland (21): Slight advantage over co-host New Zealand. Recent losses against Austria, Italy, Germany and England are troublesome. The “La Nati” qualified with a narrow victory over Wales in extra time.
3. New Zealand (22): The co-hosts face a tough group. The Ferns have recent losses against Japan, Norway and Australia(twice). Angel City’s Ali Riley will try and see the Ferns advance to the knockout for the first time in World Cup history.
4. The Philippines (53): One of five debutants. Recently lost to New Zealand, Costa Rica and Thailand. The Malditas fans will be one of the most passionate at these games. Loyola’s Sarina Bolden will head the team’s quest to get past the group stage.
Group B
1. Canada (7): The clear favorites in Group B. Gold medalists at the 2020 Olympic games. Recent wins against Morocco, Argentina, Australia(twice) and Jamaica. Veteran Sophie Schmidt will spearhead the Canadian’s quest for a World Cup title.
2. Nigeria (45): Nigeria lost the 2022 Women’s AFCON tournament(placing fourth). However, friendlies against the United States(a loss and a draw), Canada(a loss and a draw) and Japan have shown the Super Falcons’ potential.
3. Australia (13): The co-hosts face a tough group and potentially the “Group of Death.” Recent losses against Canada(twice), Spain(7-0!) and an early exit from the 2022 Asian Cup are concerning for the Matildas.
“Those games already in the group stage?! Oooh! Buy tickets!” 😍
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) October 22, 2022
Group Of Death? Pfft! Matildas boss Tony Gustavsson is buzzing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup challenge 💪#OptusSport #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/aCFqixuXSN
4. Ireland (24): Another debutant, the “Girls in Green,” face a tough group. Ireland edged Scotland in the UEFA playoffs to qualify.
Group C
1. Japan (11): The Japanese narrowly lost to China in the Asian Cup semifinals on penalty kicks. Recent wins against Nigeria and New Zealand showed their strengths. Upcoming friendlies against England(Nov. 11) and Spain(Nov. 15) will tell the tale for the 2011 World Cup champs.
2. Spain (6): The “La Rojas” have had strong wins against the United States and Australia. However, an early exit from the 2022 Euros is concerning. Spain has upcoming friendlies against Argentina(Nov. 11) and Japan(Nov. 15).
3. Zambia (81): The 2022 Women’s AFCON runners-up and 2022 COSAFA Champions. Zambia needs to schedule some upcoming friendlies to be able to content against Japan and Spain. Veteran Barbra Banda will be key for the “Copper Queens.”
21-year-old Barbra Banda becomes the first female Player to score back-to-back hat-tricks at the Olympics.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) July 24, 2021
She scored six goals in Zambia’s first two games in Women’s Football at the Olympics.
She was the Top Scorer in the 2020 Chinese Women’s Super League with eighteen goals. pic.twitter.com/9ASj6wQa6G
4. Costa Rica (37): Costa Rica has had recent success against the Philippines(a win and a draw), but losses against Colombia, Jamaica, the United States and Haiti are troubling. A tough draw for the “Las Ticas” that sees them return to the World Cup since 2015.
Group D
1. England (4): 2022 Euro Champions against Germany plus recent wins against the United States, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Lucy Bronze is expected to captain the Lionesses to their first World Cup victory.
2. Denmark (18): The “Red and Whites” have a tough group. The Danes have seen recent losses against Australia, Spain and Germany. Regardless, I have them with a slight edge over China to advance to the knockout round.
3. China (15): The “Steel Roses” haven’t seen much competition outside of the AFC. Winners of the 2022 Asian Cup, China lost the East Asian tournament to Japan. Moreover, China will need some friendlies to prepare for the World Cup and advance outside of the group stage.
4. Group B Play-off (Chile, Haiti, or Senegal): Tough group for however qualifies. Expecting Chile to return, but don’t be surprised to see Haiti qualify for their first Women’s World Cup.
Group E
1. USA (1): Top-ranked team has seen some troubles this year with a younger squad. Their only competition is The Netherlands which they defeated in the 2019 World Cup Final. Recent losses to Spain and England, plus narrow wins against Nigeria and Canada, are concerning. Let’s see if veterans Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn can lead the Americans to their third straight World Cup title.
The @USWNT will face off against a familiar opponent, the Netherlands, in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup group stage 🇺🇸🇳🇱
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 22, 2022
Here is a look back at the last time they met in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 🏆
pic.twitter.com/gXEOwA75zE
2. Netherlands (8): The Dutch will seek revenge against the United States to top the group. The “Oranje” faced an early exit in the 2022 Euros against France. Upcoming friendlies against Costa Rica and Denmark could be key to them preparing for the World Cup.
3. Group A Play-off (Portugal, Cameroon, or Thailand). Likely qualifier Portugal should see a victory against Vietnam. However, Cameroon and Thailand both participated in the 2019 World Cup, which could also earn a solo win in group stage.
4. Vietnam (34): Another debutant that likely got drawn into a tough group and placed fourth in the AFF Women’s Championship following losses against the Philipines and Myanmar. Furthermore, the lack of scheduled friendlies will be unfortunate for the “Golden Star Warriors.”
Group F
1. Brazil (9): The Brazilians are on a ten-game winning streak and look very strong. Having gone undefeated during the Copa America tournament then, followed by victories over Norway, South Africa, and Italy. Veteran Debinha will look to guide her team to a better finish in 2023 after poor showings in the last two World Cups.
2. France (5): The “Les Bleues” had a disappointing finish in the 2022 Euros losing to Germany in the semifinals. This would later be followed up by friendly losses to Germany and Sweden in October. A potential easy draw should see the French advance to the knockout round.
3. Jamaica (43): The “Reggae Girlz” have shown improvement since their 2019 World Cup debut. A third-place finish again in the CONCACAF Championship saw them defeat Costa Rica in the final match. Recently, Jamaica had back-to-back losses against South Korea and will face Paraguay twice in November in Montego Bay. Khadija “Bunny” Shaw will look to lead her team to the knockout round.
Drew stringing the needle for Kiki 😍
— Official J.F.F (@jff_football) July 19, 2022
.#ReggaeGirlz #CWC #CRIJAM #BobMarleyFoundation #ReggaeGirlzFoundation #JFF_Football pic.twitter.com/JbDn1ZzTua
4. Group C Play-off (Chinese Taipei, Papua New Guinea, Panama, or Paraguay): Seeing Panama qualify would make for an interesting rematch against Jamaica. Papua New Guinea looks to be the first team from the OFC to qualify outside of New Zealand.
Group G
1. Sweden (2): Sweden are strong favorites to knock off the two-time champions after their recent rise in the rankings. Their lone loss in 2022 came against England in the semifinals of the 2022 Euros.
2. Italy (14): A disappointing showing in the 2022 Euros saw Italy leave winless. Subsequently, a recent loss against Brazil has shown Italy’s weak offense. A favorable draw should still see Italy advance to the knockout round.
3. South Africa (54): “Banyana Banyana” are coming off their first Women’s AFCON championship. An easier draw could see them upset Italy and defeat Argentina to advance to the knockouts. However, recent losses against Australia and Brazil exposed their weakness on the defensive side.
4. Argentina (29): A third-place finish at the 2022 Copa America disappointed Argentina. Coincidentally, a recent draw against Poland and a loss against Canada will make it tough for Argentina to pull together a win.
Group H
1. Germany (3): A favorable draw for the Germans should easily advance them to the knockout round. Two out of their four losses this year have been against England. Captain Alexandra Popp will look to get the Germans back into a World Cup final for the first time since 2007.
2. Colombia (27): “Las Chicas” has had a strong year qualifying for the World Cup. Their only losses have been against Brazil in the 2022 Copa America Final and against the United States in June. Back-to-back friendly victories over Costa Rica and Paraguay have shown Colombia’s strong offensive attack.
3. South Korea (17): South Korea finished the 2022 Asian Cup as runners-up, losing in the final to China. A disappointing third-placed finish at the East Asian championship would be followed up by a friendly win over Jamaica. Korea has a pair of upcoming friendlies scheduled in November against New Zealand.
4. Morocco (76): A dark horse to secure a victory in their World Cup debut. Runners-up in the 2022 Women’s AFCON tournament, where they would lose to South Africa in the final. Morocco would follow up with losses against Poland and Canada.
Round 2
Spain def. Norway
USA def. Italy
Japan def. Switzerland
Sweden def. Netherlands
Canada def. Denmark
Brazil def. Colombia
England def. Nigeria
Germany def. France
Quarterfinals
Spain def. USA
Japan def. Sweden
Canada def. Brazil
England def. Germany
Semifinals
Japan def. Spain
England def. Canada
Third Place
Canada def. Spain
Final
England def. Japan
The 2023 Women’s World Cup begins July 20, with New Zealand facing Norway in the opening match. Visit FIFA’s official website for the entire match schedule.
Check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more women’s sports coverage and watch Live NWSL games here. For more coverage of the NWSL and international futbol, click here. Todd Roman is on Twitter too. Follow Todd @TBRBWAY.
