The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand kicks off on July 20. The Football Ferns will face Norway while the Matildas will meet Ireland to open the World Cup, setting off a historic tournament of firsts. The ninth iteration of the competition is being hosted by two partner nations for the first time, and the field has expanded to 32 teams for the first time as well, with eight countries as World Cup debutants.
By this point, you probably all know the basics. The 32 national teams have been drawn into eight groups of four teams, with each country set to face one another in a round-robin style format based on a point system. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss. The two best teams based on the amount of points earned will advance to the knockout rounds. If teams are level on points, tie-breakers include goal differential, followed by goals scored, then head-to-head, and ultimately fair play record.
So, who are the teams among the eight groups and which nations have the best chance of getting to the round of 16? Let's take a look at each group and which teams will square off in the group stage:
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Group A
By Pardeep Cattry
- Favorites: Norway
- Contenders: Switzerland
- Dark horses: New Zealand
- Long shots: Philippines
With talent like Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen on their roster, this group is Norway's to lose. In addition to their talent up top, Norway hope to win things through the strength of their defense, giving opponents few openings while waiting for their stars to make a play. Switzerland are expected to clinch a knockout berth but may have eyes on top spot. They will need forwards Ramona Bachmann and Alisha Lehmann to be in their best form to do so, and the same goes for midfielder and captain Lia Walti.
Tournament co-hosts New Zealand, meanwhile, hope a tournament on home soil will be the perfect occasion to earn their first ever win at the World Cup. New Zealand will also rely on Ali Riley and CJ Bott for defensive resolve. Though the Philippines are one of the lowest-ranked teams at the World Cup, the first-time participants have steadily been on the rise after hiring ex-Australia coach Alen Stajcic in 2021. The team's leading goalscorer, Sarima Bolden, will aim to extend her tally.
Group B
By Pardeep Cattry
- Favorites: Australia
- Contenders: Canada
- Dark horses: Ireland
- Long shots: Nigeria
If there's any "group of death" in this tournament, this is the one. Group B is as wide open as any, but Australia and Canada are the favorites for top spot. Sam Kerr will no doubt want to bolster her claim that she's the world's best goalscorer with a strong showing at home, while young forward Mary Fowler should also pitch in. Canada, meanwhile, won Olympic gold in Tokyo thanks to their defensive strengths and will likely go back to that playbook. A mix of young and veteran talent is expected to shine for Canada -- Jessie Fleming will hold down the fort in midfield, while 40-year-old Christine Sinclair can still be relied on for goals.
Ireland will also hope their defense will be the key to success at their first World Cup while midfielder Denise O'Sullivan delivers up top. As for Nigeria, they have a star striker in Asisat Oshoala, who was the joint top scorer in Spain's Liga F last season, but the federation's failure to adequately fund World Cup preparations could get in the team's way.
Group C
By Pardeep Cattry
- Favorites: Spain
- Contenders: Japan
- Dark horses: Costa Rica
- Long shots: Zambia
On paper, Spain are the team to beat in Group C and a contender to win the whole thing but the team's preparation for the World Cup has not gone as planned. A group of 15 players sat out most of the team's matches in the last year in protest of head coach Jorge Vilda, who they say "significantly" impacted their mental health, and star player Alexia Putellas -- who also supported the protest -- only returned to play in April after tearing her ACL. Putellas could be fit enough to make her mark Down Under, while midfielder Aitana Bonmati is coming off a strong year for club and country and could be Spain's difference maker.
If Spain cannot stake claim atop Group C, Japan will no doubt swoop in for top spot. They're a young team that boasts exciting talent in attack through the likes of Yui Hasegawa and Mina Tanaka. Hasegawa's creative flair in midfield and Tanaka's nose for goal should allow the 2011 champs to progress to the knockouts with few complications.
Costa Rica, meanwhile, will hope their all-time leading goalscorer Raquel Rodríguez can lead them to their first-ever knockout berth. Zambia may be the lowest-ranked team in Group C, but never count star striker Barbra Banda out. She made a name for herself in Tokyo for scoring back-to-back hat tricks, and seems poised to live on the scoresheet after scoring twice on Germany in a friendly earlier this month.
Group D
By Pardeep Cattry
- Favorites: England
- Contenders: Denmark
- Dark horses: China
- Long shots: Haiti
England may be without several key players through injury, but they are most certainly still one of the best teams at the World Cup. The team boasts one of the world's best central midfielders in Keira Walsh and young talents up top like Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, as well as veteran experience through Lucy Bronze, not to mention one of the game's top managers in Sarina Wiegman. Denmark will likely stake claim on second place in Group D and are coming off a string of impressive victories in the buildup to their first World Cup since 2007, and hope forward Pernille Harder can make the trip Down Under a worthwhile one.
China, meanwhile, will also count on attacking talent Wang Shuang to ride the momentum of their surprise Asian Cup triumph last year. Haiti arrive to their first World Cup without a ton of prep, but 19-year-old midfielder Melchie Dumornay -- also known by her nickname, Corventina -- could enjoy a breakout tournament.
Group E
By Sandra Herrera
- Favorites: USWNT
- Contenders: Netherlands
- Dark Horses: Portugal
- Long shots: Vietnam
This group offers an immediate rematch of the 2019 World Cup final with an early glance at the USWNT and Netherlands as two of the top contenders for the 2023 title and dual favorites to exit the group. Portugal and Vietnam are both debutants in this tournament and will have steep competition against experienced teams. That's not to say there isn't any room for upsets.
The USWNT has a stark mix of experienced and veteran players despite missing some key players with injuries so look for young talents Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman to play key roles. Meanwhile, the Netherlands will be without their prolific goal scorer Vivienne Miedema due to an ACL injury, but Jill Roord can cause problems for defenders.
Portugal and Vietnam are the debutants of the group, and are each considered long shots, but could shake things up when they go head-to-head. Huỳnh Nhu is the all-time leading scorer for Vietnam, earning five Vietnamese golden balls. Kika Nazareth is the youngest player to debut for Portugal, and they'll hope she can replicate her Benfica goal-scoring (26 in 36 club games) at the international level.
Group F
By Sandra Herrera
- Favorites: France
- Contenders: Brazil
- Dark horses: Jamaica
- Long shots: Panama
This group might earn the billing as the most chaotic for every team's ability to counter attack quickly if needed in specific game scenarios. France and Brazil lead the group as co-favorites to advance into the knockout rounds. Jamaica is in their second tournament and will still be on the hunt for their first World Cup win, and Panama are making their World Cup debut.
Brazil and France played a memorable round of 16 match in 2019 with France eliminating Brazil, so there's no doubt the two will compete for the top spot in the group standings. Brazil is motivated to send their most iconic player, Marta, out on top during her final World Cup run.
France will want to show they are still contenders despite the injuries and short build-up to the tournament with manager Herve Renard. Jamaica will need to find top striker Bunny Shaw to shake things up in the group. Panama will look to goalkeeper Yenith Bailey for breakout performances in her first World Cup.
Group G
By Sandra Herrera
- Favorites: Sweden
- Contenders: Italy
- Dark horses: Argentina
- Long shots: South Africa
Sweden are considered the favorite in the group, and chasing that long-elusive World Cup title after falling short on the podium in varying international competitions. The remaining trio of teams presents a bit of unpredictability. Italy could be tabbed as co-favorites to top the group based on the opposition they've faced on their path to the World Cup. Le Azzurre have faced six teams across five different federations and are unbeaten in their previous four games.
Argentina will want their say as they return to a fourth World Cup, like Italy, and will look at the group draw as an opportunity to finally punch their ticket to the knockout stage. South Africa might be considered long shots but will step onto the World's biggest stage as the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nation champions. A payment dispute between players and the federation has been resolved after a brief protest, and the squad now turns their eyes towards making history in their second World Cup.
Group H
By Sandra Herrera
- Favorites: Germany
- Contenders: South Korea
- Dark horses: Colombia
- Long shots: Morocco
Germany enter the competition as 2022 Euro runners-up and as favorites to win the group. They have streaky results in their previous six games (2W-1D-2W) coming into the tournament but are considered elite in their group draw. South Korea will participate in their third World Cup with a goal to return to the knockout stage after getting eliminated from group play in 2019.
South Korea will be led by Ji So-Yun, who left Chelsea at the end of the 2022 season and is one of their most experienced players with 144 appearances. Lee Geum-min, who has 26 goals to her name in 80 national team games, is a standout player in FA Women's Super League with Brighton.
Colombia are also returning to a third World Cup after missing out on the competition in 2019. They're Copa America Femenina runners-up and will go against all three group rivals for the first time in program history. Morocco burst onto the international stage as runners-up in the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. They're one of eight debutants at the tournament and will be motivated by the recent elevated profile of Morocco as a footballing nation.
