2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, officially known as the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023,[1] will be the ninth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international women's association football championship contested by women's national teams and organised by FIFA. The tournament will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, and is scheduled to take place from 20 July to 20 August 2023.[2][3] It will be the first FIFA Women's World Cup to have more than one host nation, and also the first senior World Cup for either sex to be held across multiple confederations, as Australia is in the Asian Confederation, while New Zealand is in the Oceanian Confederation. In addition, this tournament will be the first to feature the expanded format of 32 teams from the previous 24, replicating the same format used for the men's World Cup from 1998 to 2022.[citation needed]
| FIFA Wahine o te Ipu o te Ao – Ahitereiria/Aotearoa 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Host countries | Australia New Zealand |
| Dates | 20 July – 20 August |
| Teams | 32 (from 6 confederations) |
| Venue(s) | 10 (in 9 host cities) |
← 2019 2027 → | |
The opening match will be contested between New Zealand and Norway at Eden Park, Auckland on 20 July 2023. The final will take place on 20 August 2023 at Sydney Olympic Stadium in Australia.[1] The United States are the defending champions, having won the previous two tournaments.[4]
Host selection
Bidding began for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on 19 February 2019.[5] Member associations interested in hosting the tournament had to submit a declaration of interest by 15 March, and provide the completed bidding registration by 16 April. However, FIFA revised the bidding timeline as the tournament expanded to 32 teams on 31 July.[6] Other member associations interested in hosting the tournament now had until 16 August to submit a declaration of interest, while the completed bidding registration of new member associations and re-confirmation of prior bidders was due by 2 September.[7]
Nine countries initially indicated interest in hosting the events: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, South Korea (with interest in a joint bid with North Korea), New Zealand and South Africa.[8] Belgium expressed interest in hosting the tournament following the new deadline but later dropped out, as did Bolivia, in September 2019.[9][10] Australia and New Zealand later announced they would merge their bids in a joint submission.[11] Brazil, Colombia, and Japan joined them in submitting their bid books to FIFA by 13 December.[12] However, both Brazil and Japan later withdrew their bids in June 2020 before the final voting.[13][14]
On 25 June 2020, Australia and New Zealand won the bid to host the Women's World Cup.[15] The decision came after a vote by the FIFA Council, with the winning bid earning 22 votes, while Colombia earned 13.[16] Neither country had previously hosted a senior FIFA tournament. This will be the first Women's World Cup to be hosted in multiple countries, and only the second World Cup tournament to do so, following the 2002 FIFA World Cup, held in Japan and South Korea. It is also the first FIFA Women's World Cup to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, the first senior FIFA tournament to be held in Oceania, and the first FIFA tournament to be hosted across multiple confederations (with Australia in the AFC and New Zealand in the OFC). Australia is the second association from the AFC to host the Women's World Cup, after China in both 1991 and 2007.[citation needed]
| Bidding Nation(s) | Votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | ||||
| Australia & New Zealand | 22 | |||
| Colombia | 13 | |||
| Recused | 2 | |||
| Total votes | 35 | |||
Format
In July 2019, FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed an expansion of the Women's World Cup from 24 to 32 teams, starting with the 2023 edition, and doubling the tournament's prize money.[17] The proposal came following the success of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and the prior edition of the tournament in 2015, which after increasing from 16 to 24 teams set an attendance record for all FIFA competitions besides the men's FIFA World Cup.[18] Expanding the tournament to allow eight additional participating teams gave more member associations a greater opportunity to qualify for the final tournament. This fostered the growing reach and professionalisation of the women's game.[19]
On 31 July, the FIFA Council unanimously decided to expand the tournament to 32 teams, featuring eight groups of four.[6]
The astounding success of this year's FIFA Women's World Cup in France made it very clear that this is the time to keep the momentum going and take concrete steps to foster the growth of women's football. I am glad to see this proposal becoming a reality.
The tournament opens with a group stage consisting of eight groups of four teams, with the top two teams progressing from each group to a knockout tournament starting with a round of 16 teams. The number of games played overall increases from 52 to 64. The tournament replicates the format of the men's FIFA World Cup used between 1998 and 2022.[citation needed]
Teams
Qualification
FIFA's confederations organised their qualifications through continental championships, with the exception of UEFA which organised its own qualifying competition. Australia and New Zealand, as co-hosts, qualified automatically for the tournament, leaving the remaining 207 FIFA member associations eligible to enter qualification if they chose to do so. Australia competed at the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, whilst New Zealand did not enter the OFC Women's Nations Cup the same year. The reigning Women's World Cup champions United States competed in qualification through the CONCACAF W Championship as normal.[citation needed]
The Chadian and Pakistani football associations were suspended by FIFA, thus excluding them from entering qualifications.[20] Rwanda, Sudan, DR Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe entered qualification but withdrew later.[21][22][23][24] Kenya withdrew before the second round of qualifiers.[25] North Korea and Turkmenistan withdrew from the Women's Asian Cup qualifiers due to safety concerns and travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[26] Iraq withdrew after the AFC draw.[27] Due to the uncertainty of women's sport after the Taliban takeover of the country, Afghanistan withdrew from qualification.[28] Due to COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks in their squads, Women's Asian Cup hosts India withdrew from qualification.[29] American Samoa withdrew due to continuing difficulties related to the pandemic.[30] Russia were disqualified from competing due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[31]
The allocation of slots for each confederation was confirmed by the FIFA Council on 25 December 2020. The slots for the two host nations were taken directly from the quotas allocated to their confederations.[32]
- AFC (Asia): 6 slots (including co-hosts Australia)
- CAF (Africa): 4 slots
- CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean): 4 slots
- CONMEBOL (South America): 3 slots
- OFC (Oceania): 1 slot (including co-hosts New Zealand)
- UEFA (Europe): 11 slots
- Inter-confederation play-off tournament: 3 slots
A ten-team play-off tournament will decide the final three spots at the Women's World Cup. The play-off slot allocation is as follows:[citation needed]
- AFC (Asia): 2 slots
- CAF (Africa): 2 slots
- CONCACAF (North America, Central America and the Caribbean): 2 slots
- CONMEBOL (South America): 2 slots
- OFC (Oceania): 1 slot
- UEFA (Europe): 1 slot
Of the 32 nations qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, 20 countries competed at the previous tournament in 2019. 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. This is Panama's, Portugal's and Vietnam's first ever FIFA women's competition, having only taken part in various FIFA men's tournaments. Zambia made history as the first landlocked country in Africa to qualify for a World Cup for either sex. Morocco became the first-ever Arab country to qualify for the Women's World Cup, while the Republic of Ireland marked their first-ever debut at any senior women's tournament. Denmark made their first appearance in 16 years after missing three consecutive tournaments, their last appearance being in 2007. Costa Rica, Colombia and Switzerland returned to the tournament after missing the previous one in 2019. Italy qualified for two consecutive women's World Cups for the first time in their history, after three sporadic appearances in 1991, 1999 and 2019.[citation needed]
Thailand, Cameroon, Chile, and Scotland, all of whom qualified for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, did not qualify for the 2023 tournament. Iceland was the highest ranked team in the FIFA Women's World Rankings that failed to qualify, ranked 16th at the time.[A] Zambia were the lowest ranked team to qualify, ranked 81st at the time.[citation needed]
- ^ North Korea, ranked 10th, withdrew from qualifications.
| AFC (6)
CAF (4)
| CONCACAF (6)
CONMEBOL (3) OFC (1)
| UEFA (12)
| Team qualified Team failed to qualify Team withdrew or suspended Did not enter
|
Draw
The final draw took place at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, on 22 October 2022 at 19:30 NZDT (UTC+13), prior to the completion of qualification.[33][34] The three winners of the inter-confederation play-off were not known at the time of the draw.[35]
Retired American international and 2-time Women's World Cup champion Carli Lloyd and CNN International sports presenter Amanda Davies conducted the draw. Each confederation had a retired international representing them as a draw assistant: Maia Jackman of New Zealand for the OFC and Julie Dolan of Australia for the AFC alongside men's internationals Ian Wright of England for UEFA, Alexi Lalas of the United States for CONCACAF, Geremi of Cameroon for the CAF and 2002 World Cup winner Gilberto Silva of Brazil for CONMEBOL. Snowboarding Olympic gold medalist Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand and 4-time swimming Olympic gold medalist Cate Campbell of Australia also assisted the draw.[36]
For the draw, the 32 teams were allocated into four pots based on the FIFA Women's World Rankings of 13 October 2022. Pot one contained both co-hosts New Zealand and Australia (both automatically placed in positions A1 and B1, respectively) along with the best six teams. Pot two contained the next best eight teams, with the next best eight teams being allocated into the following pot (pot three). Pot four contained the lowest ranked teams, along with the placeholders for the three inter-confederation play-off winners. With the exception of UEFA, teams from the same confederation could not be drawn in the same group. However, since each inter-confederation play-off group contained multiple confederations, the placeholders were identified by the seeded teams in their respective play-off pathways to avoid any draw constraints. The draw started with pot one and ended with pot four, with the team selected being allocated to the first available group alphabetically. Pot 1 teams were automatically drawn to position 1 of each group, with the following positions drawn for the remaining pots. The pots for the draws are shown below.[37]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (22) (co-hosts) | Canada (7) | Denmark (18) | Nigeria (45) |
- ^ The placeholder for the play-off Group A winners adhered to the geographical constraints of a European team in the draw (based on the seeded team in the group, this was Portugal). The Group A winner that actually qualified was Portugal.
- ^ The placeholder for the play-off Group B winners adhered to the geographical constraints of a South American team in the draw (based on the seeded team in the group, Chile). The Group B winner that actually qualified was Haiti.
- ^ The placeholder for the play-off Group C winners adhered to the geographical constraints of an Asian and Oceanian team in the draw (based on the seeded teams in the group, Chinese Taipei and Papua New Guinea, respectively). The Group C winner that actually qualified was Panama.
Venues
Graphs are temporarily unavailable due to technical issues. |
Australia and New Zealand proposed 13 possible venues across 12 host cities for the tournament in the bid book submitted to FIFA, suggesting a minimum of 10 stadiums be used—five in each country.[38] The original proposal of the joint bid would have seen the venues be divided into three main travel hubs: South Hub, containing Perth, Adelaide, Launceston and Melbourne; East Hub, containing Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne and Launceston; and New Zealand Hub, containing Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. The Sydney Football Stadium was the only new stadium within the bid that is[when?] undergoing a major renovation, replacing the old football stadium on the same site.[citation needed]
The bid evaluation was released on 10 June 2020 by FIFA, which noted that the majority of the stadiums listed in the bid meet FIFA's hosting requirements with capacity, aside from Adelaide and Auckland which didn't meet the minimum requirements capacity wise for stages of the competition proposed for.[39] Most stadiums featured in the bid are planned to have minor renovations with new floodlighting, pitch renovations and gender-neutral changing rooms in time for the tournament.[citation needed]
On 31 March 2021, FIFA announced the final host city and venue selections. Five cities and six stadiums will be used in Australia, and four cities and stadiums in New Zealand. From the proposed venues, Newcastle and Launceston were not selected in Australia, and Christchurch was omitted in New Zealand. Eden Park in Auckland will host the opening game, with Stadium Australia in Sydney to host the 2023 Women's World Cup final match.[40][41] As a part of the branding, all cities will use native names (Indigenous Australian and Māori in New Zealand) alongside their English names in an effort to "reconcile and respect the original owners of the land."[42]
Eden Park, Auckland will host New Zealand's opening match, and Stadium Australia, Sydney will host Australia's opening match (both group stages). Lang Park, Brisbane will host the 3rd place match on 19 August; and Stadium Australia, Sydney will host the final which will be held on 20 August.[43]
| Australia | New Zealand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Brisbane | Auckland | Wellington | ||
| Stadium Australia | Sydney Football Stadium | Lang Park | Eden Park | Wellington Regional Stadium | |
| Capacity: 83,500[44] | Capacity: 42,512[45] | Capacity: 52,263[46] | Capacity: 48,276[47] | Capacity: 39,000[48] | |
| Melbourne | Perth | Adelaide | Dunedin | Hamilton | |
| Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | Perth Rectangular Stadium | Hindmarsh Stadium | Forsyth Barr Stadium | Waikato Stadium | |
| Capacity: 30,052[49] | Capacity: 22,225[50] | Capacity: 16,500 (expanding to 18,435)[51] | Capacity: 28,744[52] | Capacity: 25,111[53] | |
Team base camps
Base camps will be used by the 32 national squads to stay and train before and during the Women's World Cup tournament. FIFA announced the hotels and training sites for the 29 qualified participating nations on December 11, 2022, with the remaining 3 qualified teams selecting their base camps after the Play-off Tournament.[54] FIFA later confirmed the last remaining three base camps for the Play-off Tournament winners on March 21, 2023.[55] It will be the first Cup to have dedicated base camps for the 32 participating nations.[citation needed]
| Team | Hotel | Training site |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Novotel Auckland – Ellerslie | Michaels Avenue Reserve, Auckland |
| Australia | Rydges Brisbane – South Bank | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre |
| Brazil | Best Western Hotel North Lakes | Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex |
| Canada | Mercure Melbourne – Doncaster | Olympic Park, Heidelberg West |
| China | Pullman Adelaide | Croatian Sports Centre, Adelaide |
| Colombia | Mercure Sydney – Liverpool | Marconi Stadium |
| Costa Rica | Distinction Christchurch Hotel | Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub |
| Denmark | DoubleTree by Hilton Perth – Waterfront | Kingsway Reserve |
| England | Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific | Central Coast Stadium |
| France | Grand Mercure Hills Lodge | Valentine Sports Park 1 |
| Germany | Mercure Kooindah Waters | Central Coast Regional Sporting & Recreation Complex |
| Haiti | Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough | Percy Doyle Reserve |
| Italy | Grand Millennium Auckland | Shepherds Park |
| Jamaica | Novotel Melbourne Preston | Victorian State Football Centre |
| Japan | Rydges Latimer Christchurch | Christchurch Stadium |
| Morocco | Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park | Galvin Park Reserve |
| Netherlands | Trinity Wharf – Tauranga | Bay Oval |
| New Zealand | Pullman Auckland Hotel & Apartments | Keith Hay Park |
| Nigeria | Sofitel Brisbane Central | Lions Stadium |
| Norway | M Social Auckland | Seddon Fields |
| Panama | The Playford Adelaide – MGallery | Adelaide United Training Centre |
| Philippines | Mövenpick Hotel | Olympic Park Auckland |
| Portugal | Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre | Māngere Centre Park |
| Republic of Ireland | Emporium Hotel South Bank | Goodwin Park |
| South Africa | InterContinental Hotel Wellington | Porirua Park |
| South Korea | Rydges Campbelltown | Campbelltown Sports Stadium |
| Spain | Copthorne Palmerston North | Massey Sport Institute Palmerston North |
| Sweden | NZCIS Accommodation Wellington | NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport |
| Switzerland | Distinction Dunedin Hotel | Tahuna Park |
| United States | Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour | Bay City Park |
| Vietnam | Rydges Auckland | Fred Taylor Park |
| Zambia | Novotel Hamilton – Tainui | Korikori Park |
Schedule
The match schedule was announced by FIFA on 1 December 2021 without kick-off times.[56][57] The opening match of the tournament, featuring co-hosts New Zealand, will be played on 20 July 2023 at Eden Park. Whilst the inaugural match in Australia, was set to take place on the same day at Sydney Football Stadium. Later, the schedule was tweaked by moving the Australia vs Republic of Ireland to the Sydney Olympic Stadium. The group stage fixtures will be split between the co-hosts with each hosting four groups. The third-place match will be played at Lang Park on 19 August 2023, with the final to be played at Stadium Australia on 20 August 2023.[58]
The group stage fixtures for each group will be allocated to the following host country:[58]
- Groups A, C, E, G: New Zealand (Auckland, Dunedin, Hamilton, Wellington)
- Groups B, D, F, H: Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney)
The final kick-off times were confirmed on 24 October 2022, two days after the draw,[59] in order to "optimise the specific match details for the benefit of supporters, teams and the media".[60] On 31 January 2023, it was confirmed that Australia vs Republic of Ireland had been moved from Sydney Football Stadium to the larger Sydney Olympic Stadium due to strong ticketing demand.[61]
Officiating
In January 2023, the FIFA Referees Committee announced the list of 33 referees, 55 assistant referees, and 19 video assistant referees for the tournament.[62]
For the first time in the FIFA Women's World Cup, six female video assistant referees were also appointed.[citation needed]
Group stage
Competing countries were divided into eight groups of four teams (groups A to H). Teams in each group will play one another in a round-robin, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage.[63]
| Tie-breaking criteria for group play |
|---|
The ranking of teams in the group stage is determined as follows:[63]
|
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Zealand (H) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Norway | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Philippines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Switzerland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(H) Host
| New Zealand | Match 1 | Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Switzerland | Match 18 | Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Norway | Match 34 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia (H) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Republic of Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Nigeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(H) Host
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Costa Rica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Zambia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Costa Rica | Match 38 | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Haiti | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Vietnam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Portugal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| United States | Match 9 | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Portugal | Match 41 | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Jamaica | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Brazil | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Panama | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | South Africa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Argentina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group H
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Morocco | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Colombia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| South Korea | Match 47 | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Knockout stage
In the knockout stage, if a match is level at the end of 90 minutes of normal playing time, extra time will be played (two periods of 15 minutes each). If the score was still level after extra time, the winners will be determined by a penalty shoot-out.[63]
Bracket
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
| 5 August – Auckland | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group A | ||||||||||||||
| 11 August – Wellington | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group C | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 49 | ||||||||||||||
| 6 August – Sydney (Football) | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 51 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group E | ||||||||||||||
| 15 August – Auckland | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group G | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 57 | ||||||||||||||
| 5 August – Wellington | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 58 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group C | ||||||||||||||
| 11 August – Auckland | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group A | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 50 | ||||||||||||||
| 6 August – Melbourne | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 52 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group G | ||||||||||||||
| 20 August – Sydney (Australia) | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group E | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 61 | ||||||||||||||
| 7 August – Sydney (Australia) | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 62 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group B | ||||||||||||||
| 12 August – Brisbane | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group D | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 53 | ||||||||||||||
| 8 August – Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 55 | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Group F | ||||||||||||||
| 16 August – Sydney (Australia) | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group H | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 59 | ||||||||||||||
| 7 August – Brisbane | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 60 | Third place play-off | |||||||||||||
| Winner Group D | ||||||||||||||
| 12 August – Sydney (Australia) | 19 August – Brisbane | |||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group B | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 54 | Loser Match 61 | |||||||||||||
| 8 August – Melbourne | ||||||||||||||
| Winner Match 56 | Loser Match 62 | |||||||||||||
| Winner Group H | ||||||||||||||
| Runner-up Group F | ||||||||||||||
Round of 16
| Winner Group C | Match 50 | Runner-up Group A |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Winner Group E | Match 51 | Runner-up Group G |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Winner Group G | Match 52 | Runner-up Group E |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Winner Group B | Match 53 | Runner-up Group D |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Winner Group H | Match 56 | Runner-up Group F |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Winner Group F | Match 55 | Runner-up Group H |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Quarter-finals
| Winner Match 49 | Match 57 | Winner Match 51 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Winner Match 54 | Match 60 | Winner Match 56 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Semi-finals
| Winner Match 59 | Match 62 | Winner Match 60 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Third place play-off
Final
| Winner Match 61 | Match 64 | Winner Match 62 |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
Marketing
Branding
The official emblem was jointly designed by Toronto-based studio Public Address and Los Angeles-based Works Creative Agency and unveiled on 28 October 2021 during a live show. The emblem features a football encircled by 32 coloured squares, reflecting the expanded field of the tournament, and the natural terrains of the two host nations. The overall branding of the tournament will feature designs reflecting the host nations' Indigenous peoples, created by Australian artist Chern'ee Sutton and Maori artist Fiona Collis. Furthermore, the tournament's branding will also incorporate the native names of all host cities. Alongside the emblem, the official slogan of the tournament, "Beyond Greatness", reflects FIFA's goal for the event to further expand the prominence of women's football, was also revealed.[64][65] The names of the host cities in their native names (the local Indigenous Australian languages and Māori in New Zealand) were used as part of the official branding.[42]
Broadcasting rights
Unlike previous editions, this is the first Women's World Cup to be commercialized as a standalone product rather than being packaged alongside the Men's World Cup. FIFA stated that they have had "huge interest" and are expecting more regional partners to sign on. FIFA are also aiming to reach a global audience of 2 billion, up from 1.12 billion at the previous edition in France.
In October 2022, FIFA rejected multiple bids from various public and private broadcasters for significantly underpriced bids, urging broadcasters to be paying what the women's game deserves.[66] Romy Gai, FIFA's Chief Business Officer, called on broadcasters to seize the "opportunity" provided by the women's game, further saying that these bids did not reflect the popularity of women's football, noting the record viewership figures of the 2019 Women's World Cup.[67]
Gianni Infantino later expressed his disappointment during a FIFA Council meeting towards broadcasters offering "100 times less" compared to the men's tournament, claiming that the women's game is exponentially growing with similar viewership figures to the World Cup, and wished that the market be willing to consider a more appropriate value of the broadcast rights for the tournament.[68]
In May 2023, Infantino threatened a media blackout for Europe's "big five" countries.[69]
Sponsorship
Symbols
Mascot
The tournament's official mascot was unveiled on 19 October 2022. The mascot's name is Tazuni, which is a portmanteau of the Tasman Sea and 'Unity'.[82] It represents a little penguin (Eudyptula minor[83]), endemic to New Zealand, FIFA incorrectly stated this penguin (E. minor) was endemic in Australia, where a closely related species (Eudyptula novaehollandiae) was described as a new and distinct in 2016.[84]
Match ball
On 24 January 2023, The word "OCEAUNZ" was unveiled as the official match ball for the tournament by adidas.[85]
OCEAUNZ's design is inspired by the unique natural landscapes of the two host nations, with visuals nodding to the vast mountains of Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia’s connection with the Indian Ocean. Its name reflects the coming together of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand as host nations of the tournament. OCEAUNZ features the same connected ball technology as was seen in Qatar at the FIFA World Cup 2022. This provides precise ball data, which will be made available to Video Match Officials in real-time.[85]
Music
On 28 October 2021, same day as the official emblem and slogan unveiling, British DJ and music producer Kelly Lee Owens released "Unity" as the official theme song for the event.[86]
Controversies
Russian participation
On 9 December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency initially handed Russia a four-year ban from all major sporting events, after the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was found non-compliant for handing over manipulated laboratory data to investigators.[87] However, the Russian national team could have still entered qualification, as the ban only applies to the final tournament to decide the world champions. The WADA ruling allowed athletes who were not involved in doping or the coverup to compete; however, a team representing Russia that uses the Russian flag and anthem cannot participate under the WADA decision.[88] The decision was appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[89] which upheld WADA's ban but reduced it to two years.[90] The CAS ruling also allowed the name "Russia" to be displayed on uniforms if the words "Neutral Athlete" or "Neutral Team" have equal prominence.[91] Had Russia qualified for the tournament, its female players would have been able to use their country's name, flag or anthem at the Women's World Cup, unlike their male counterparts, as the ban expired on 16 December 2022.[91][92]
However, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIFA announced a number of sanctions impacting Russia's participation in international football on 27 February 2022. Russia was prohibited from hosting international competitions, and the national team had been ordered to play all home matches behind closed doors in neutral countries. Under these sanctions, Russia would not be allowed to compete under the country's name, flag, or national anthem; similarly to the Russian athletes' participation in events such as the Olympics,[93] the team would compete under the abbreviation of their national federation, the Russian Football Union ("RFU"), rather than "Russia".[94] The women's team had remained largely unaffected with participation in qualifications albeit suspended "until further notice". On 2 May, UEFA announced further sanctions regarding the ongoing suspension, ruling the women's team ineligible to compete further in the UEFA qualifiers. Consequently, this led to Denmark's automatic qualification to the Women's World Cup, as a result of the suspension.[95][96][97][98]
Saudi Arabia tourism sponsorship
On 1 February 2023, FIFA announced that Visit Saudi, the tourism board of Saudi Arabia, will be potentially one of the main sponsors of the tournament. FIFA opted to sign the quota sale contract without consulting any instance of the two host countries. Shortly after the announcement, the Organizing Committee asked the entity for clarification on how this advertisement and the partnership would work. Human Rights Watch said the decision showed disregard for how Saudi Arabia treats women. The decision was called sportswashing by human rights campaigns.[99][100] Notable women such as Alex Morgan, Emma Hayes, Becky Sauerbrunn and Megan Rapinoe, also denounced the deal and urged FIFA not to sign it.[101][102][103] In March 2023, Football Australia and New Zealand Football publicly opposed the potential sponsorship.[104] In March 2023, FIFA announced they would drop the sponsorship deal.[105]
References
- ^ a b "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Match Schedule". FIFA. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ "Everything you need to know about the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023". FIFA. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "FIFA Council approves further transfer system reforms and announces key FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 dates". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "USA beat Netherlands for fourth title". BBC. BBC. 7 July 2019.
- ^ "FIFA starts bidding process for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 19 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "FIFA Council unanimously approves expanded 32-team field for FIFA Women's World Cup". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: Overview of the bidding process (updated version, August 2019)" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
- ^ "FIFA receives record number of expressions of interest in hosting FIFA Women's World Cup 2023". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ "Belgium and Bolivia drop out as eight countries remain in race to host 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup". insidethegames.biz. 3 September 2019.
- ^ "Bidding process for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 continues with eight member associations". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
- ^ "One Vision". As One 2023. Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: four bids submitted". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 13 December 2019.
- ^ "Brasil retira candidatura a sede da Copa do Mundo Feminina FIFA 2023" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Brazilian Football Confederation. 8 June 2020.
- ^ "Japan FA to withdraw from Bid to host the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023". Japan Football Association. 22 June 2020. from the original on 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Australia and New Zealand selected as hosts of FIFA Women's World Cup 2023". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 25 June 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "FIFA President Infantino hails France 2019, outlines proposals for future of women's game". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ . FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 7 July 2015. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
- ^ Mather, Victor (5 July 2019). "FIFA President Proposes Expansion of Women's World Cup and Doubling of Prize Money". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
- ^ "FIFA suspends Chad and Pakistan football associations". FIFA. 7 April 2021.
- ^ "Rwanda Government asks Federation to withdraw 2022 Women's AFCON qualifier". Sports News Africa. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- ^ "Sudan – Algeria: the Greens will not play their return match". california18.com. CA18. 26 October 2021.
- ^ "CAF Statement on the Women's AFCON Qualifier: Equatorial Guinea vs DR Congo". CAF. 22 October 2021.
- ^ "Withdrawal of Sao Tome from the qualifiers of the TotalEnergies Women's AFCON 2022". CAF. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ "Kenya Government asks Federation to withdraw 2022 Women's AFCON qualifier". fufa. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ "Latest update on the AFC U23 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2022 – Qualifiers". Asian Football Confederation. 29 July 2021.
- ^ "It's now down to Indonesia-Singapore in Group C". ASEAN Football Federation. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "Vietnam to play three AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 qualifiers". Voice of Vietnam. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
- ^ "Latest update on the AFC Women's Asian Cup India 2022". AFC. 24 January 2022.
- ^ "More calendar changes for 2021". Oceania Football Confederation. 16 December 2020.
- ^ "FIFA/UEFA suspend Russian clubs and national teams from all competitions". FIFA (Press release). 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ "Update on FIFA Women's World Cup and men's youth competition". FIFA. 25 December 2020.
- ^ "Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau to host the Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 in October". FIFA. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
- ^ "New Zealand to host FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ Draw". Government of New Zealand. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ "Procedures for the Final Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia New Zealand 2023" (PDF). FIFA. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Star-studded line-up for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ draw". FIFA Plus. Fédération internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Women's Draw Seedings FIFA Women's World Cup Australia New Zealand 2023". FIFA. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "As One. Australia and New Zealand bidding to host the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023" (PDF). Football Federation Australia, New Zealand Football. Retrieved 14 December 2019 – via FIFA.com.
- ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ Bid Evaluation Report published – three bids submitted to FIFA Council". FIFA.com. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Host Cities and Stadiums announced". FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ "Australia and New Zealand are hosting the FIFA 2023 Women's World Cup. Here's how the tournament will work". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ a b Lewis, Samantha (27 November 2021). "2023 Women's World Cup is already changing the game for First Nations communities". ABC News. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Rhett (28 May 2022). "Womens World Cup 2023: Dates, Schedule And Kick-Off Times". History Of Soccer. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
- ^ "Stadium Australia". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Sydney Football Stadium". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Brisbane Stadium-womens-world-cup-2023". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Eden Park". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Wellington Regional Stadium". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Melbourne Rectangular Stadium". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Perth Rectangular Stadium". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Hindmarsh Stadium". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Dunedin Stadium". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Waikato Stadium". FIFA.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ "Team Base Camps confirmed for FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023". FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "All 32 FIFA Women's World Cup™ Team Base Camps now confirmed". FIFA.com. FIFA. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "Match schedule confirmed for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023". FIFA. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Match schedule: FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023" (PDF). FIFA. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ a b "Match schedule: FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023" (PDF). FIFA. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ "Match schedule and kick-off times confirmed for Australia & New Zealand 2023". FIFA. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
- ^ "Final rematch among FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 Draw headlines". FIFA. 22 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ targets over 100,000 fans for epic opening matchday". FIFA. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Match officials appointed for FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™". FIFA.com. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- ^ a b c "Regulations: FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
- ^ "Australia-NZ unveils '23 Women's World Cup logo". ESPN.com. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "Beyond Greatness in 2023". FIFA.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
- ^ "FIFA urges broadcasters pay what the women's game deserves". Reuters. 20 October 2022.
- ^ "2023 FIFA Women's World Cup broadcasting rights". SportsPro. 20 October 2022.
- ^ "Meeting in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau". FIFA.com. 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Fifa threatens European TV blackout of Women's World Cup - but RTÉ won't be affected". The42. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ . FIFA. 21 November 2013. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ "FIFA announces partnership with blockchain innovator Algorand". FIFA. 1 May 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ Matthews, Sam (22 November 2005). "Coca-Cola renews Fifa football sponsorship until 2022". Campaign. from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
- ^ Wilson, Bill (18 March 2016). "Fifa signs China's Wanda as partner". BBC News. from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ "FIFA announces Visa as first-ever FIFA Women's Football Partner". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Xero named as FIFA Women's Football Partner". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
- ^ McCaskill, Steve (17 October 2022). "Fifa signs up Globant to build out Fifa+ DTC platform". SportsPro Media. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ "Cisco joins FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ as Official Network Infrastructure Provider". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ "Commonwealth Bank announced as FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Official Supporter". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "Inter Rapidísimo announced as FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Official Supporter". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "Team Global Express announced as FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Official Supporter". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ "Jacob's Creek announced as FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ Official Supporter". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ "2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Mascot Unveiled". FIFA.com. 19 October 2022.
- ^ "2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Mascot Unveiled". FIFA.com. 19 October 2022.
- ^ Banks, Jonathan C.; Mitchell, Anthony D.; Waas, Joseph R. & Paterson, Adrian M. (2002): An unexpected pattern of molecular divergence within the blue penguin (Eudyptula minor) complex. Notornis 49(1): 29–38. PDF fulltext
- ^ a b "Official Match Ball for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™ unveiled by adidas".
- ^ "Kelly Lee Owens Shares "Unity", the Theme Song for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup: Listen". pitchfork.com. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Russia banned for four years to include 2020 Olympics and 2022 World Cup". BBC Sport. 9 December 2019.
- ^ "'We Got What We Deserved': Russia Reacts to Doping Ban". The Moscow Times. 9 December 2019.
- ^ "WADA files official request with Court of Arbitration for Sport to resolve RUSADA dispute". World Anti-Doping Agency. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "CAS arbitration WADA v. RUSADA: Decision". TAS/CAS. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Russia banned from using its name, flag at next two Olympice". ESPN. Associated Press. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Russia banned from Tokyo Olympics and 2022 World Cup after Cas ruling". BBC. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- ^ "Olympics: Russia to compete under ROC acronym in Tokyo as part of doping sanctions". Reuters. Reuters. 19 February 2021. from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^