The ninth edition of the Women's World Cup starts on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. This historic tournament will see 32 nations compete for the first time. Here are all the basics you need to know.
- Women's World Cup: Home | Squads | Fixtures | Podcast
What is the Women's World Cup?
The Women's World Cup is the premier competition for women's soccer, held every four years and hosted by different nations across the globe. The first Women's World Cup was held in 1991 in China with 12 teams in the competition. The 2023 edition will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand with 32 teams, the most ever. In all, there have been nine Women's World Cup editions held.
Which countries are playing in the Women's World Cup?
The tournament will begin with eight groups of four nations. Each team will play a minimum of three games: one match against each of their group rivals. The top two teams from each group will then proceed to the round of 16.
ESPN has a dedicated homepage for each of the 32 participating nations, hyperlinked below. For all the latest news, stats and information, you can also subscribe to your favourite teams on the ESPN App.
GROUP A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
GROUP B: Australia, Republic of Ireland, Nigeria, Canada
GROUP C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan
GROUP D: England, Denmark, China, Haiti
GROUP E: United States, Vietnam, Netherlands, Portugal
GROUP F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Panama
GROUP G: Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina
GROUP H: Germany, Morocco, Colombia, South Korea
When does the Women's World Cup take place?
The first game, between New Zealand and Norway, takes place on Thursday, July 20 and it will run through to Saturday, Aug. 20 when the final takes place.
- Women's World Cup bracket and fixtures schedule
Has the USA ever won a World Cup?
The United States, known as the USWNT, have won the tournament four times -- the most of any other team. The titles came in 1991, 1999 (as hosts), 2015, and 2019.
Who has won the Women's World Cup?
Four countries have won the Women's World Cup: United States (four), Germany (two), Norway (one), and Japan (one). The USWNT will be trying to win an unprecedented third straight Women's World Cup title in 2023.
Who won the last Women's World Cup?
The United States won the 2019 World Cup with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands. The final was held in Lyon, France. Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle scored the USWNT's goals.
How often is the Women's World Cup?
The Women's World Cup is held every four years, with the first one held in 1991. Although FIFA, the governing body that hosts the Women's World Cup, has floated the idea of moving the Women's World Cup to every two years, the idea has faced pushback and for now does not appear imminent.
How long is the Women's World Cup?
The 2023 Women's World Cup schedule runs from July 20 to Aug. 20. In total there will be 64 games: a group stage, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, final and a third-place playoff.
How much money did the Women's World Cup make?
Although this is a popular question people ask, the truth is historically no one knows the answer because FIFA, the governing body that hosts the Women's World Cup, has always bundled its revenue from the tournament with all other editions of the World Cup. That means that the $6 billion FIFA says it made in the previous World Cup cycle includes the men's World Cup, the Women's World Cup, and all youth World Cups.
It has been falsely claimed that the Women's World Cup previously generated $131 million in revenue, but that is erroneous and the source of that number came from someone misreading FIFA's financial data. That $131 million number was actually the tournament's expenses, not revenues, and FIFA confirmed that it did not separately track Women's World Cup revenue.
For the 2023 Women's World Cup, FIFA for the first time is selling its media and sponsorship rights for the Women's World Cup separately from the men's World Cup, but will not share financial data until after the tournament.
Who is the Women's World Cup mascot?
The Women's World Cup mascot is Tazuni, which is a teenaged, fun-loving penguin. Tazuni's name is a fusion of the Tasman Sea and the word "unity" and the penguin hopes to inspire generations to come.
She is confident.
— FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) October 18, 2022
She is stylish.
She is Tazuni.
With a name coming from a mix of Tasman Sea, where she was born, and Unity, this 15-year-old is ready to capture the spirit of an event that will go #BeyondGreatness! ✨ pic.twitter.com/TMIpeAL3LL
Where is the Women's World Cup being held?
The 2023 Women's World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand. It is the first time in the tournament's history that two countries will serve as co-hosts. It will be held at 10 venues across nine cities across both nations:
• Sydney, Australia
• Brisbane, Australia
• Auckland, New Zealand
• Wellington, New Zealand
• Melbourne, Australia
• Perth, Australia
• Adelaide, Australia
• Dunedin, New Zealand
• Hamilton, New Zealand
Other countries to have hosted the World Cup are China (in 1991 and 2007), Sweden (1995), the United States (twice in 1999 and 2003), Germany (2007), Canada (2015), and France (2019).
What is the Women's World Cup theme song?
In the spirit of Ricky Martin's classic "Cup of Life" and Shakira's "Waka Waka," New Zealand artist BENEE and Australia's Mallrat have teamed up on the anthem "Do It Again."
What is the prize money for the Women's World Cup?
The total prize money ($110 million) will be divided between all 32 teams stands, and is an increase of almost 300 percent from $30 million offered in 2019. A percentage of the prize money will be awarded to individual players and to the football associations of the participating countries.
Here's how much players and teams earn, depending on how far they make it into the tournament.
Player prize money
• Group stage: $30,000
• Round of 16: $60,000
• Quarter-final: $90,000
• Fourth place: $165,000
• Third place: $180,000
• Runners up: $195,000
• Winners: $270,000
Team prize money
• Group stage: $1.56m
• Round of 16: $1.87m
• Quarter-final: $2.18m
• Fourth place: $2.46m
• Third place: $2.61m
• Runners up: $3.02m
• Winners: $4.29m
How can I watch the Women's World Cup?
In the United States, the English-language rights holder to air games is Fox Sports, meaning games will air on FOX and FS1. Spanish-language rights in the U.S. belong to Telemundo.
In the United Kingdom, BBC and ITV hold rights. In the hosts nations, the games will air on Optus Sport and Seven Network in Australia, and Sky Sport in New Zealand.