Yes, yet another World Cup!
This one takes place between July 20 and August 20 next year. It is the first Women’s World Cup to be hosted by two countries, Australia and New Zealand, and is the first to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. This is the 9th tournament and is extended from 24 to 32 teams.
The US are defending champions and they won the last two tournaments in 2015 and 2019.
The group draw took place in Auckland last night attended by 800 dignitaries and sporting heroes from around the world. These included a huge FIFA contingent which required their own Customs queue at Auckland airport on arrival. The evening began with performances of Māori and Aboriginal dances and songs followed by video montages introducing the match host cities.
Eden Park in Auckland (capacity 50,000) will host the opening game between NZ and Norway and the final will be at Stadium Australia (capacity 83,500). New Zealand have never won a match in 5 World Cup tournaments but have a good chance this time in a group with no highly seeded teams.
The groups drawn are:
GROUP A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
GROUP B: Australia, Republic of Ireland, Nigeria, Canada
GROUP C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan
GROUP
England, Play off Group B winners*, Denmark, China
GROUP E: United States, Vietnam, Netherlands, Play off Group A winners*,
GROUP F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Play off Group C winners*
GROUP G: Sweden South Africa, Italy, Argentina
GROUP H: Germany, Morocco, Columbia, South Korea
* Winners of the inter-confederation play offs not known at the time of the draw
The biggest pool match of the tournament will be USA v Netherlands in Wellington, a replay of the 2019 Cup Final won by USA 2-0 in front of 57,900 spectators in Paris.
Comments
Heaviest result at the last world cup was USA beating Thailand 13-0 but after that the next biggest score was 5-0.
We also smashed Sweden 4-0 in the semi's. We were just on fire that tournament.
As I say, wait and see. But this could well end up looking like that Rugby League World Cup you've been calling a farce
I'm not disagreeing with you that there will be some heavy wins, especially as some countries will only be part time. Even Northern Ireland at the Euro's were part time. But by increasing the number of countries competing surely some of the smaller nations getting to a world cup means more money for them, which in turn you'd hope would be reinvested into improving their game. It can't be a bad thing in the long run.
No obvious replacement for Williamson who can not only play CB and midfield but has a winners mentality. Surely ex England CB Captain Steph Houghton will make the squad now ? Greenwood can play CB but Milly Bright is needed now more than ever.
ACL'S happen more often in Woman's football. Arsenal's season is being wrecked with Williamson joining Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema with the same dreaded knee injury. Plus Kim Little is out with a hamstring injury.
This WC is really bad timing for England but players need to step up to the plate and grab their chances.
England won the Euros because they had the fresh legs of Kelly, Russo and Toone to bring on in the 2nd half plus Mead scored for fun in 2022.
Russo and Toone will now start the matches and we just won't have the same dynamic subs to make. James, Hemp and Kelly will rotate as the wide forwards with one starting on the bench.
Absolutely gutted for her.
And adds to my theory that boot manufacturing need to start making boots just for women
Obviously there are the physiological differences between men and women, boots are only now being made specifically for women and there is physiological changes that loosen ligaments during menstruation! A lot of variables!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65453756
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65453756
Plus it shows yet again what FIFA care about. The moment we and other countries breakaway from that corrupt bunch of tossers the better. Then again our fa and other countries fa's are to embedded with FIFA and uefa.
No, thought not.