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From July 20 to August 20, 32 teams meet in Australia and New Zealand for the Women’s World Cup. 64 meetings are planned in the two countries. This ninth edition of the competition includes its share of novelties.
Published on: 07/18/2023 – 11:11
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In the land of the kangaroos and in that of the “long white cloud” – Australia and New Zealand – rugby is usually king. These two countries are however preparing to become, for a month, the center of the football planet. From July 20 to August 20, they host the ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup. Compared to the previous ones, there are many new features.
This is the first time that two countries have hosted the international competition. Previous editions of the World Cup were held in China in 1991 and 2007, in Sweden in 1995, in the United States in 1999 and 2003, in Germany in 2011, in Canada in 2015 and in France in 2019.
In France, the Americans won the trophy for the fourth time in their history – and for the second time in a row – after triumphing over the Dutch 2-0, including a goal from the penalty spot by Megan Rapinoe, one of the emblematic players of the American team.
Megan Rapinoe lifts the trophy on July 7, 2019, in Lyon. Frank Fife, AFP
More teams, more matches
This Australian-New Zealand edition is also the first to welcome 32 teams during the group stage. A total of 64 matches will be played in ten different stadiums – six in Australia, four in New Zealand.
The decision to expand the number of teams was announced by FIFA on July 31, 2019, in the wake of the World Cup organized in France, in order to “promote the development of women’s football”. The number of competing teams has grown steadily since the creation of the Women’s Football World Cup in 1991, which then had 12 teams.
During the group stage, each group will consist of four teams. The top two from each group will advance to the round of 16. The knockout phase will then begin. As usual, it is the host countries that will open the ball. New Zealand will face Norway in Auckland, at Eden Park Stadium, at 9am (Paris time). The meeting will be followed, at 12 noon (still Paris time), by Australia, opposed to Ireland at the Stadium Australia in Sydney – which will also host the final of the tournament.
Read alsoWomen’s World Cup 2023: the calendar and all the results
Video arbitration, fan-zones, bonuses
New features also appear in arbitration, in particular video assistance (VAR). FIFA recalls in an article published on its website that video refereeing had already been introduced at the last Women’s World Cup in France. However, she insists that “the edition in Australia and New Zealand will bring together 19 video assistant referees, including, for the first time, six women”.
As for the bonuses paid to the players – or “cash prizes” – Clément Gauvin, co-founder of the Footeuses media, advances the fact that they “will be increased”, with sums “quite incredible at the level of women’s football”.
For Clément Gauvin, it is “clearly”, on a global scale, a “pivotal World Cup” for women’s football. “The ‘cash prizes’ for the players are going to be enormous, so there is bound to be a sporting expectation which is going to be higher and higher”. In addition, “it is also the first that there will be fan zones in Australia and New Zealand for a Women’s World Cup”.
“In terms of broadcasting, the competition will be broadcast around the world. There have also been efforts on match schedules,” he says. “At FIFA level, there are things that are organized to make this event an incredible event,” concludes Clément Gauvin.
The tournament will end with the final between the winners of the two semi-finals. It will be played on August 20 at 12 p.m. (Paris time).
