By: Lin Jiayi
The 2023 Women’s World Cup will take place from July 10 to August 20, 2023, hosted by Australia and New Zealand, with matches taking place across both countries.
The opening match will be held at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, while the final at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia. In total, there will be 32 matches played over the course of the tournament, with the top teams from around the world competing for the coveted title.
England has been placed in Group D for the Women’s World Cup 2023. The other teams in their group include Japan, Mexico, and South Africa. Japan is a formidable opponent as they have won the tournament once before and finished as runners-up twice. Mexico and South Africa are less experienced teams but should not be underestimated. “As a nation we’re so good at competing at the Games,” said Weston, who won Britain’s first men’s World Cup gold medal for 13 years in Igls in November but had inconsistent results in recent weeks (The Guardian, 2023).
England will need to bring their A-game if they want to progress through to the knockout stages of the tournament. They have a strong squad with players, such as Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby who can make a real impact on the pitch. However, they will need to be wary of Japan’s attacking prowess and ensure they do not underestimate Mexico or South Africa.
One of the favourites to win it all is the United States, who have won four out of eight previous editions of the tournament. Led by superstar forward Alex Morgan and veteran midfielder Megan Rapinoe, the USWNT will be looking to defend their title and cement their status as the best team in the world.
Another team to watch out for is Germany, who have won two World Cup titles and are always a force with which to be reckoned. They boast a strong defence and midfield, and will be looking to make it to the final for the first time since 2007. Other contenders include France, who finished as the runner-up in the 2019 tournament, and England, who has been steadily improving over the past few years and will be looking to make a deep run in front of their home fans.