Women's World Cup 2023 || u20 women's world cup
The Women's World Cup 2023 is the ninth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, which is a big international football championship for women's national teams. This tournament happens every four years, and this time it's being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The matches are taking place from July 20 to August 20.
This is a special World Cup because it's the first time two countries are working together as co-hosts. Also, it's the first Women's World Cup to have 32 teams competing in eight groups, making it even more exciting.
The team to beat is the U.S. women's national team. They are the current champions and the most successful team in the tournament's history, having won four titles in the previous eight editions. In this World Cup, they are in Group E along with Vietnam, Netherlands, and Portugal.
The U.S. women's next game is against Portugal on Tuesday, August 1, and you can watch it on FOX and the FOX Sports app at 3 a.m. ET. The coverage starts at 1 a.m. ET, so make sure to tune in to cheer for your favorite team!
This tournament is making history in several ways. It's the first time they've added a cross-confederation play-off to decide the last three spots in the 32-team competition. In April 2023, ten teams from six different confederations competed in Australia, and Vietnam, Panama, and Zambia came out as the winners, earning their first-ever qualification for the World Cup.
Another exciting first is the use of video assistant referee (VAR) technology. This means that the referees on the field can now review certain decisions with the help of video replays. VAR can be used for goals, penalties, red cards, and cases of mistaken identity. It was first used in the men's World Cup in 2018 and has since become a standard feature in various leagues and competitions.
The prize money for this tournament is also a big deal. They've doubled the total amount compared to the previous edition in 2019, making it a whopping $60 million. The winning team will receive $10 million, and the runners-up will get $6.5 million. This prize money also covers preparation and benefits for the teams, showing FIFA's dedication to support the development of women's football.
And let's not forget about the star players! There are several talented athletes to watch out for in this tournament. For example, Megan Rapinoe from the USA, who won the prestigious Ballon d'Or and Golden Boot in 2019. Sam Kerr from Australia, the all-time leading scorer in both the Australian and American leagues. Vivianne Miedema from the Netherlands, the top scorer in the English league and the European Championship. Wendie Renard from France, the captain and defender of the highly successful club Lyon in Europe. And last but not least, Marta from Brazil, the leading goal-scorer in World Cup history with 17 goals.
With all these exciting developments and talented players, the Women's World Cup 2023 promises to be an unforgettable and action-packed event on the global stage!