Women’s World Cup draw. What is the composition of the groups?

While the men’s football World Cup starts in Qatar in less than a month, the women have to wait until 20 July next year for their World Cup. The tournament will take place at ten stadiums in Australia and New Zealand. The draw for the preliminary groups took place in Auckland on Saturday. How did it go?

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be the ninth in the series, will once again do without the Czech national team. Of the 32 participants, 29 are known, with another ten countries competing for the remaining three places in a barrage in February.

From Group A, one of Portugal, Cameroon and Thailand will advance. Chile, Senegal and Haiti will compete for promotion in the barrage marked with the letter B. In Group C we will find Taiwan, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea and Panama.

Regardless of the outcome of these battles, it has already been decided during the draw ceremony who the winning teams will face. It is also already clear that the opening match of the event at Auckland’s Eden Park will be between the home New Zealanders and the Norwegians. They will be joined by the Philippines and Switzerland in Group A.

The second host nation, Australia, will enter the tournament with a duel with newcomer Ireland. Group B also includes Nigeria and Canada.

The 2015 and 2019 world champions USA will be aiming for a golden hat-trick. The American women are the most successful national team in history, having also captured the 1991 and 1999 World Cups. In Group E, they will repeat their final match from the last championship in France, where they won the title with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands.

The bronze was taken four years ago by the Swedes, who will face South Africa, Italy and Argentina. Fresh European champions England, who enjoyed their continental triumph on home soil this year, will challenge Denmark, China and the advancing team from Barrier B.

The draw for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 preliminary groups

group A:: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland

group B:: Australia, Ireland, Nigeria, Canada

group C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan

group D:: England, winner of barrage group B, Denmark, China

group E:: USA, Vietnam, Netherlands, winner of Barrier Group A

group F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, winner of barrier group C

group G: Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina

group H:: Germany, Morocco, Colombia, South Korea

Source: FIFA