The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, with a mix of women’s soccer giants and late bloomers drawn into Group A alongside the Football Ferns of New Zealand, who look at their own challenge of making it out of the group stage for the first time ever, but have the added benefit of playing in front of a home crowd.
Norway will look to make up for their less-than-ideal Euro 2022 campaign, while the Philippines will be making their first-ever appearance at a World Cup, and Switzerland will be making just their second. But what these teams lack in appearances on the global stage, they make up for in star power, with many players who compete for major clubs and will look to make an impact for their country.
GROUP A SCHEDULE
July 20: New Zealand vs. Norway (3:00 a.m. ET)
July 21: Philippines vs. Switzerland (1:00 a.m. ET)
July 25: New Zealand vs. Philippines (1:30 a.m. ET)
July 25: Switzerland vs. Norway (4:00 a.m. ET)
July 30: Switzerland vs. New Zealand (3:00 a.m. ET)
July 30: Norway vs. Philippines (3:00 a.m. ET)
THE TEAMS
NEW ZEALAND
FIFA world ranking: 26
Odds to win the World Cup: +19,800 (via Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +527 (via Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: Five
Best showing: Germany 2011 (tallied first ever World Cup point)
2019 World Cup: Failed to qualify out of group (0-0-3)
Manager: Jitka Klimkova
Probable formation: 4-4-2
Probable starting XI: Vic Esson (Rangers) — Katie Bowen (Melbourne City), CJ Bott (Leicester City), Ali Riley (Angel City FC), Rebekah Stott (Brighton & Hove Albion) — Betsy Hassett (Wellington Phoenix), Grace Jale (Canberra United), Olivia Chance (Celtic), Malia Steinmetz (Western Sydney Wanderers) — Jacqui Hand (Åland United), Hannah Wilkinson (Melbourne City).
THE BIG QUESTION: Can New Zealand take advantage of a group containing teams with little World Cup experience and finally progress past the group stage?
THE PULSE: Head coach Jitka Klimkova announced her squad after a seven-week training camp, the longest in the New Zealand team’s history. The team has something to prove this time around after going winless in 2019, and their FIFA world ranking has slipped to the lowest it has ever been at 26.
Much of it is because since Klimkova took the team over in 2021, New Zealand has only scored 11 times in 24 games and went on a six-game run with no goals that just ended this past April. Many dominant players like co-captain Ria Percival are returning from injury and will still look to be a key part in making it out of the group stage.
Scoring goals and getting wins against the teams with less World Cup experience like Switzerland and the Philippines will be key for New Zealand to have their best finish yet at a World Cup.
THE X-FACTOR: Hannah Wilkinson helped New Zealand tally their first-ever World Cup points with an equalizer against Mexico in 2011 and is who the Football Ferns will be relying on most to produce in front of the net. She is the team’s active leader in goals with 28 and has shown up in the big moments for the Football Ferns like scoring another equalizer against China PR in 2015. When big moments arise for New Zealand, big goals are expected out of Wilkinson.
NORWAY
FIFA world ranking: 12
Odds to win the World Cup: +4,438 (via Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: -300 (via Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: Eight
Best showing: Sweden 1995 (Champions)
2019 World Cup: Lost 3-0 to England in quarter-finals
Manager: Hege Riise
Probable formation: 4-3-3
Probable starting XI: Aurora Mikalsen (Brann) — Tuva Hansen (Bayern Munich), Maren Mjelde (Chelsea), Mathilde Hauge Harviken (Rosenborg BK), Marit Bratberg Lund (SK Brann) — Vilde Boe Risa (Manchester United), Ingrid Syrsta Engen (Barcelona), Emilie Bosshard Haavi (Roma) — Frida Maanum (Arsenal), Guro Reiten (Chelsea), Ada Hegerberg (Lyon).
THE BIG QUESTION: Will Norway bounce back from their disaster in the Euro 2022 group stage under new head coach Hege Riise?
THE PULSE: Norway is expected to win Group A and make it to the last 16 as they are the most experienced team in the group and also loaded with talent. Graham Hansen just lifted the Champions League trophy with Barcelona alongside Syrstad Engen and aim to lift another trophy this summer.
Reiten and captain Mjelde both helped Chelsea win their fourth-consecutive Women’s Super League title and Mjelde will be a pillar on the backline as Norway looks to play their pesky style that other teams get flustered against.
Maanum may be just 23 years old, but she scored 16 goals and tallied nine assists for Arsenal helping them reach the Champions League semifinal and finish third in the Women’s Super League, and will be expected to have that production for Norway.
THE X-FACTOR: Five years on the international sidelines to protest the inequality between men and women in football, yet Hegerberg remains one of the key players for Norway’s success as the first female Ballon d’Or winner and six-time Champions League winner with Lyon.
Despite just three goals across three major international tournaments for Norway, Hegerberg has the more Champions League goals than any other woman with 58, and is making her first World Cup appearance since 2015. She still has 43 goals in 76 games since making her senior debut for Norway in 2011, and aims to add on to that number.
PHILIPPINES
FIFA world ranking: 46
Odds to win the World Cup: +50,000 (via Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +33,700 (via Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: None
Best showing: N/A
2019 World Cup: N/A
Manager: Alen Stajcic
Probable formation: 3-5-2
Probable starting XI: Olivia McDaniel (Milwaukee Panthers), Alicia Barker (Pacific Northwest), Jessika Cowart (IFK Kalmar), Sofia Harrison (Werder Bremen), Tahnai Annis (Por/KA), Sara Eggesvik (Norway KIL/Hemne), Jaclyn Sawicki (Western United), Katrina Guillou (Pitea IF), Sarina Bolden (Western Sydney Wanderers), Quinley Quezada (Red Star Belgrade), Meryll Serrano (Stabaek)
THE BIG QUESTION: Will the Philippines shock the world and make it out of the group stage at their first-ever World Cup?
THE PULSE: It may be their first showing at a World Cup but it’s certainly a deserving one. The Philippines earned their berth by reaching the semifinals of the Asia Cup in January 2022, and that summer went on to win the ASEAN Football Federation Cup for the first time ever as hosts by defeating Thailand in the final.
Much of this Philippines squad are American-born, but have bought into the program led by former Australia manager Stajcic, and the progress has been evident. The Philippines has scored 15 goals in five matches this year and reached their highest-ever FIFA ranking.
While just making the World Cup is historic for the Philippines, they broke a 37-year medal drought by winning the bronze-medal match against Myanmar in the Vietnam SEA Games in May 2022 and followed it up with gold two months later. The underdogs of Group A certainly are more than meets the eye.
THE X-FACTOR: Bolden has 22 goals in 37 senior appearances for the Philippines, including the shootout penalty that secured World Cup qualification for her country. Despite being U.S.-born, Bolden has experience playing in Sweden, Taiwan and Japan.
In her debut for the Philippines against hosts Jordan in the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, a 76th-minute strike from Bolden secured the comeback 2-1 win, and proved that Bolden is always ready for big moments.
SWITZERLAND
FIFA world ranking: 20
Odds to win the World Cup: +23,500 (via Sports Interaction)
Odds to win the group: +511 (via Sports Interaction)
Previous World Cup appearances: One
Best showing: Canada 2015 (Round of 16)
2019 World Cup: N/A
Manager: Inka Grings
Probable formation: 4-3-3
Probable starting XI: Gaëlle Thalmann (Real Betis) — Julia Stierli (FC Zürich Frauen), Géraldine Reuteler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Nadine Riesen (FC Zürich Frauen), Luana Bühler (Tottenham Hotspur) — Coumba Sow (Servette FC), Lia Wälti (Arsenal), Ana-Maria Crnogorčević (Barcelona) — Eseosa Aigbogun (Paris FC), Fabienne Humm (FC Zürich Frauen), Alisha Lehmann (Aston Villa).
THE BIG QUESTION: Can Switzerland have their best-ever showing at a World Cup despite their struggles to win in 2023?
THE PULSE: Switzerland nearly missed their chance at the World Cup as they trailed Wales in the final UEFA spot, but a goal from Bachmann levelled the score and an extra-time winner from Humm sealed their fate to push them to just their second appearance after failing to qualify for France 2019.
Humm made history with the fastest World Cup hat trick in 2015, and will look to add to scoring talents of Bachmann and Wälti, who are coming off injury, as well as Alisha Lehmann. Seraina Piubel is another name looking to make a splash as she scored some impressive goals with FC Zürich while successfully defending their league title.
THE X-FACTOR: Even after suffering an ankle injury in May, Wälti will captain the Switzerland squad and hope to make it past the quarter-finals this time around as she takes on a new role as their leader, being given the honour in 2019.
After her move to Arsenal in 2018, the team won the Women’s Super League, and this past season the Gunners won the League Cup. Wälti is an all-action midfielder who puts in the defensive work and maintains ball security, which will set the tone for the rest of Switzerland as she controls the midfield.