FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: 10 Things You Should Know 

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is just around the corner, and as the most prestigious international tournament in women’s soccer, this event promises to be a celebration of athleticism, teamwork, and passion. 

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual spectator, there are 10 things you should know before the action kicks off. So grab your jersey, lace up your boots, paint your face, and get ready to cheer as you witness history in the making. Let’s get in:

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is the 9th edition of the game 

The first edition of the FIFA Women’s world cup was held in 1991 in China with 12 teams. The competition which has been held every four years comes a year after the men’s FIFA World Cup. In the first edition, the United States won the cup by defeating Norway in the finals.

The second edition, which was held in Sweden in 1995, saw Norway defeat Germany in the finals to capture the title.

The third and fourth editions (1999 and 2003)  were both held in the United States. China was automatically chosen to host the fifth edition (2007) while Germany hosted the sixth edition (2011). FIFA awarded Canada the right to host the 7th edition (2015) while France hosted the 8th edition in 2019.

This is the first time FIFA will host a  Women’s World Cup in two nations 

For the first time in the history of the FIFA Women’s world cup, two nations were awarded the right to host the game. The games will be held in 9 different stadiums located in both Australia and New Zealand.

It will also be the first FIFA senior competition for either men or women to be held across two confederations.

The women’s world cup will be the biggest ever 

With 32 nations playing at this year’s edition, the women’s world cup will be the biggest ever. This initial contest in 1991 and the 1995 iteration of the Women’s World Cup featured 12 international teams in the final tournament. The field expanded to 16 teams in 1999 and to 24 teams in 2015. This time the teams have increased from 24 teams to 32. 

The women’s world cup is scheduled for one month 

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is scheduled for 20th July to 20th August 2023. It will begin on Thursday, with Host New Zealand taking on Norway at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand. The final will take place on 20th August 2023 at Sydney Olympic Stadium in Australia.

The 2023 women’s world cup will be played at 10 different stadiums 

With two countries hosting the international game, the matches will be played at 10 different stadiums. Six stadiums are located in Australia while 4 are situated in New Zealand. They include Brisbane Stadium-Australia, Dunedin Stadium-New Zealand, Eden Park Auckland -New Zealand, Hindmarsh Stadium-Australia, Melbourne Rectangular Stadium-Australia, Perth Rectangular Stadium -Australia, Stadium Australia-Australia, Sydney Football Stadium-Australia, Waikato Stadium-New Zealand, Wellington Regional Stadium- New Zealand.

Stadium Australia located in Sydney has the highest Capacity 

Stadium Australia, which is the biggest stadium, has a capacity of 83,500.  Having the highest capacity it has been selected to host the final on 20th August.

Nigeria’s first game will be against Canada in the Group B 

Nigeria will play its first game against Canada in Group B on 21st July 2023 at 3:30 West African Standard Time. The match will take place at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Australia. Her second game will be against the Host, Australia on 27th July 2023 at  Brisbane Stadium – Australia. 

The United States team could make history 

The United States will be looking to become the first team to win the Women’s World Cup three times in a row. Having won the title in the past two editions (2015 and 2019) the lionesses could make history by winning the title in three straight rows. Reports say the US has scored the most overall goals in the tournament with an astonishing 138.

Debuting nations are Haiti, Ireland, the Philippines, Panama, Morroco, Portugal, Vietnam, and Zambia

Out of the 32 nations that qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 20 countries competed at the previous tournament in 2019. While Haiti, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Vietnam, and Zambia will be making their debuts at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

This World Cup will be the first-ever FIFA tournament the Philippines have taken part in. For Panama, Portugal, and Vietnam it is their first ever FIFA women’s competition, having only taken part in various FIFA men’s tournaments. 

Also, Zambia makes history as the first landlocked country in Africa to qualify for a World Cup for either sex. While Morocco became the first-ever Arab country to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.

You can buy your tickets now at the FIFA portal 

For those who have not purchased tickets, authorised tickets for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup can be purchased via the FIFA ticketing portal. It is also important to note that fans must create a FIFA ticketing account to purchase match tickets. Also, All matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be streamed on FIFA.com, and games will be televised live on both BBC and ITV in the UK.