FIFA Women's World Cup
The tournament will see the best of the best take to the global stage, with all four former winners as well as the Olympic champions and the reigning champions of Asia, Europe, Africa and North and South America part of the line-up.
Ahead of a competition that promises to be bigger and better than ever before, the-AFC.com looks at some of the standout stats and facts at Australia & New Zealand 2023.
Record numbers
For the first time ever, a total of 32 teams will compete at the FIFA Women’s World Cup as the global showpiece expands from the 24 teams that appeared at the previous edition in France 2019.
The numbers highlight the continued growth of the women’s game with almost triple the number of teams compared to the 12 that were at the inaugural edition in 1991 and double the 16 that appeared in Japan’s triumphant 2011 campaign.
The hosts
Australia and New Zealand will become the seventh and eighth countries to host a FIFA Women’s World Cup while they are also the second co-hosts of a senior FIFA World Cup after Japan and Korea Republic hosted the men’s edition in 2002.
It will be the third time the women’s edition has been staged in Asia, with China PR hosting the maiden edition in 1991 and then again in 2007. The United States (1999 and 2003) are fellow two-time hosts while Sweden (1995), Germany (2011) and France (2019) have also welcomed the world.
The venues
The first-ever co-hosted FIFA Women’s World Cup will see the sides take to the pitch in two countries across nine cities, with the opening match to be staged at Eden Park in Auckland and the final to be held at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
In Australia, Sydney will host games at the aforementioned Stadium Australia as well as at Sydney Football Stadium, while games will also take place in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. In New Zealand, the host cities are Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Dunedin.
Dominant force
The United States are the undoubted powerhouse of the women’s game, having won a record four of the eight previous World Cups, including the past two. They have appeared in five finals and have never failed to make the semi-finals.
Germany are next on the roll of honour list having twice won the competition, in 2003 and in 2007, while Japan (2011) and Norway (1995) have one title apiece.
Prolific Marta
The record goalscorer in FIFA Women’s World Cup history is the legendary Brazilian striker Marta who, incredibly, is also set to make her sixth and final appearance at the World Cup after starring in her first in 2003.
Now 37, Marta has scored in each of her five previous World Cups, winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot (with seven goals) in 2007 when Brazil came runners-up. In total, she boasts 17 goals at the global showpiece.
Evergreen Sinclair
But Marta is not the only player set to appear in her sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup as Canadian icon Christine Sinclair also made her tournament bow back in 2003 and has scored at each edition since, matching her Brazilian rival’s record, although she sits someway back on 10 goals.
Having turned 40 last month, if Sinclair scores at her sixth successive World Cup she will become the oldest player to find the back of the net at the tournament, breaking the record of Brazil’s Formiga, who was 37 years and 98 days old when she netted against Korea Republic in 2015.
New kid on the block
In contrast, Korea Republic named teenage star Casey Phair in their 23-member squad for the upcoming World Cup, after she finished as the joint-top scorer in the 2024 AFC U-17 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers with five goals.
Phair will become the youngest player ever at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, at 16 years and 26 days old, if she appears in Korea's opening match against Colombia, or in the following game against Morocco, breaking the record of the late Ifeanyi Chiejine of Nigeria when she appeared aged 16 years and 34 days in 1999.
The perfect swansong?
If Sinclair doesn't score and 38-year-old Megan Rapinoe does, the US legend, who recently announced she'll retire at the end of the season, would become the oldest scorer at a FIFA Women's World Cup. However, she, and teammate Alex Morgan, are aiming for something much bigger.
Morgan and Rapinoe, who won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot in 2019, are attempting to become the first players to win three FIFA Women's World Cups, which would also mean the pair appearing in an unprecedented four successive finals.
Centurions galore
Widely considered the most talented Australian squad of all time, the Matildas go into the tournament with an experienced squad featuring nine players with more than 100 caps, beating the record previously held by the United States (8) at France 2019.
The centurions included in Australia's squad are: Clare Polkinghorne (156), Emily van Egmond (127), Sam Kerr (120), Tameka Yallop (112), Kyah Simon (111), Steph Catley (109), Caitlin Foord (108), Alanna Kennedy (108) and Lydia Williams (102).
The debutants
One-quarter of the sides competing in Australia and New Zealand will be at the World Cup for the first time, with eight teams set to make their bow in the global showpiece.
The Philippines and Vietnam arrive from Asia, while the European contingent includes Portugal and the Republic of Ireland, Africa brings Morocco and Zambia, with Haiti and Panama representing North America.
Best of the best
And finally, the world’s top ten teams will all be appearing at the World Cup, with the United States (1), Germany (2) and Sweden (3) currently occupying the top three positions in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings.
Australia (10) are the highest-placed Asian team, followed by Japan (11) and China PR (14). At the other end of the list, Zambia (77) are the lowest-ranked team followed by Morocco (72) and South Africa (54).
