With the Philippines and Vietnam set to make their maiden appearances at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the total number of Asian teams to have participated in the tournament will stand at nine. 

 

The Southeast Asian pair join a list that includes Australia, China PR, Chinese Taipei, DPR Korea, Japan, Korea Republic and Thailand.

Japan are one of just seven sides who have appeared at every edition of the tournament since the inaugural edition in 1991, the others being the United States, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Brazil and Nigeria. 

 

China have been present every time except in 2011, while Australia – who represented the Oceania Football Confederation until the 2007 edition – have also appeared in seven of the eight previous tournaments. 

Including the upcoming edition in Australia and New Zealand, three of the nine FIFA Women’s World Cups have been hosted (or co-hosted) in Asia, with China staging the maiden tournament in 1991 and then again in 2007. 

 

China also netted the first-ever goal at the tournament, when Ma Li opened the scoring in a 4-0 win over Norway in front of 65,000 at Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou.

Asia’s crowning glory at the FIFA Women’s World Cup came in 2011 when Japan overcame the United States on penalties after a 2-2 stalemate to be crowned world champions. 

 

The Nadeshiko twice fell behind but Aya Miyama and Homare Sawa, who scored a stunning late equaliser in extra time, drew Norio Sasaki’s side level each time before Saki Kumagai netted the winning spot-kick.

While Japan’s victory in 2011 remains the only time an Asian side has lifted the prestigious trophy, the continent has been represented in the final three times over the years. 

 

In 1999, China came so close to glory, only to lose on penalties to the United States in the final, while Japan made back-to-back finals by reaching the showpiece event in 2015, but saw the US get their revenge in a 5-2 defeat. 

Two of the greatest players Asia has ever produced, China’s Sun Wen and Japan’s Homare Sawa have each won the Golden Ball for best player and the Top Scorer award. 

 

Sun won the Golden Ball in 1999 as she led the Steel Roses to the final while her seven goals saw her finish joint-top of the scoring charts with Brazil’s Sissi. Sawa, meanwhile, picked up both individual accolades in 2011, when she scored five goals. 

Unsurprisingly, Sun and Sawa are among four Asians to score a hat-trick at the World Cup, with Sun’s coming in a 7-0 win over Ghana in the 1999 edition and Sawa’s in a 4-0 victory against Mexico in 2011. 

 

Japan’s Mia Otani bagged a treble in 2003 as the Nadeshiko swept aside Argentina 6-0, while Australia’s Sam Kerr went one better, scoring all four goals in the Matildas’ 4-1 win over Jamaica in 2019.

And Sun’s aforementioned hat-trick goes some way towards ensuring she is the top-scoring Asian at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with 11 goals in 20 appearances across four editions. 

 

Only four players in the history of the tournament have scored more: United States duo Michelle Akers (12) and Abby Wambach (14), Germany’s Birgit Prinz (14) and Brazil’s Marta who’s out in front on 17 and is set to play in her sixth and final World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

And finally, reaching the knockout round is expected of some of the Asian teams while considered a huge achievement for others. In 2015, a record four of the continent’s sides advanced to the Round of 16 in France. 

 

In total, six Asian nations have gone beyond the group stage: China (7 times), Japan (4), Australia (4), Chinese Taipei (1), DPR Korea (1) and Korea Republic (1).