Referenews

The tournament co-host got its first World Cup win in its sixth appearance, with an aggressive approach against Norway that fit what its captain, Ali Riley, called a team goal of “inspiring our entire country.” A win or a draw against the Philippines, which is making its World Cup debut, would put the Football Ferns in prime position to move to the knockout round.

The Philippines is making its World Cup debut this year, and much remains to be seen about the new, young squad. It reached the semifinals in the 2022 Asian Cup and recorded a 3-0 win against a European side, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a friendly match last year. The fledgling team features several Filipino Americans, including forwards Sarina Bolden and Quinley Quezada.

After missing out on the 2019 World Cup, Switzerland qualified for this year’s tournament by squeaking out a 2-1 victory over Wales in extra time. The Swiss have a decent shot of making it out of the group stage this year, too. Even with a loss to Norway, a win over tournament first-timers the Philippines and a winless New Zealand would almost certainly be enough to see them through.

Norway, even amid a rebuild, had been a heavy favorite against New Zealand in the opening game, and its loss there escalates the pressure for a team led by Ada Hegerberg, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner, and Coach Hege Riise, the most capped player in Norwegian history. Norway last missed the knockout round in 2011.

The players surrounding Sam Kerr are strong, including Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy, and will have to carry Australia for at least one more game as Kerr contends with a calf injury. The co-host still has a good shot to make it out of the group stage, and probably should worry about that before figuring out how to set up a deeper run.

Africa’s most decorated team has high hopes in its ninth straight World Cup, with a string of wins before the tournament and a draw against Canada in the opener creating some wiggle room for the games ahead. The Super Falcons will be looking to Asisat Oshoala, the 28-year-old Barcelona striker and five-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year, to lead the team into the knockout stage.

The Canadians won gold at the most recent Olympics, in Tokyo, but their recent World Cup performances have been much less impressive: They extended their stay beyond the first knockout round only once in the last two decades. An opening draw against Nigeria means a win against Ireland will be critical to securing a place in the knockout round, especially since it faces the co-host and a tournament favorite, Australia, in its last group game.

This year marks Ireland’s first appearance at a major women’s international tournament — World Cup, Olympics or European Championship — which it earned with a 1-0 win over Scotland in a playoff match last year. It nearly found an equalizer against Australia late in its opening loss, a critical missed opportunity for a team facing a difficult group.

Spain could prove to be the biggest threat to the United States this summer. Its national team is based largely on the Barcelona team that has become the dominant force in European club soccer, led by the reigning world player of the year, Alexia Putellas. Spain opens the tournament with two easier group matches, which it should win handily, before meeting a stronger opponent in Japan.

Zambia, one of eight tournament debutantes, is one of the most exciting and also one of the most unpredictable teams. The Copper Queens secured their spot at the tournament by upsetting Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, but their results this year have been more mixed: four wins and four losses, including an impressive 3-2 win over Germany at a friendly this month. One to watch: Barbra Banda, who scored back-to-back hat tricks at the last Olympics.

Las Ticas return for only their second World Cup appearance, clinching a spot in the tournament after advancing to the semifinals of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship. Recently, Costa Rica has lost games to Poland and Scotland — two teams that did not qualify for the World Cup. Still, it enters the tournament with big expectations. Costa Rica has a standout in Raquel Rodríguez, the Portland Thorns stalwart known as Rocky and one of the best midfielders in the N.W.S.L.

After upsetting the Americans and taking home the 2011 World Cup title, Japan has struggled in recent years to reclaim its place at the top of world soccer. A crushing 5-2 loss in the 2015 World Cup final to the U.S. didn’t help, nor did an early exit in the round of 16 at the last tournament. But there’s hope for the Japanese this year. They feature several exciting players: Yui Hasegawa, a deft playmaker for Manchester City, and Jun Endo, a crafty forward for Angel City of the N.W.S.L.

The Lionesses won the European Championship last summer, the team’s first major honor, and followed that up with a victory in the Finalissima — a game between the European and South American champions — this year. But England is without several key players this World Cup, including the team captain, Leah Williamson, and faces tough group opponents in Denmark and China. A decisive win against Haiti in its opening game would go a long way in helping England reach the knockout stage.

After missing the last three World Cups, the Danes are finally back and appear in solid form this year. They tallied big wins over Norway, Japan and Sweden in 2023 and are led by their captain and veteran international, Pernille Harder, a striker for Bayern Munich.

Haiti qualified for its first World Cup by beating Chile, 2-1, on two goals by the teenage midfielder Melchie Dumornay. She leads a squad of mostly teenagers and 20-somethings, offering Haiti an abundance of energy and optimism that it will hope can make up for its lack of experience on the international stage.

China’s fall from global soccer powerhouse — remember the 1999 World Cup final? — has been slow and steady over the past two decades, but this might finally be the year the Steel Roses turn things around. They’ve got difficult group opponents in England and Denmark, but if they can manage a draw in one of those games and a win over Haiti, that could be enough to send them through.

The U.S., a perennial favorite, is seeking its third straight World Cup title — a feat no national team, men’s or women’s, has ever achieved. The Americans are all but certain to advance out of the group; even if they were to lose or draw against the Netherlands, a rematch of the 2019 final, they’re likely to ease past newcomers Portugal and Vietnam. What awaits in the knockout round will be a different story, and the Americans will be looking toward a group of new, young talent — Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson — to help them lift the trophy for a fifth time.

The Dutch were the runners-up in 2019, losing to the Americans, 2-0. The core of the team that made the final four years ago — Danielle van de Donk, Jackie Groenen, Jill Roord, Lieke Martens — remains, and the Dutch have the talent to make a deep run once more. They face the Americans in their second group match, but even a defeat in that game is unlikely to send the Dutch home.

Vietnam, another tournament newcomer, faces one of the toughest roads at the World Cup. It qualified by reaching the quarterfinals of last year’s Asian Cup, but if a recent 9-0 loss to Spain in a friendly match is any indication of its current form, the team will be quickly heading home.

The Portuguese qualified for the tournament by beating Cameroon in extra time in a playoff game, earning them a spot at their first World Cup. But the Portuguese did not draw an easy group: They will first face the Netherlands, the 2019 runner-up, before meeting the defending champion United States in their last group game.

Brazil’s squad is not as strong as previous editions, and none of those teams were strong enough to overcome the superpowers of North America and Europe. Still, in Pia Sundhage, Brazil has a canny, adroit coach, and the likes of Debinha, Kerolin, Geyse and the six-time World Cup veteran Marta. Wins over Jamaica and Panama would almost certainly send the Brazilians into the knockout stage.

After a strong showing at the 2019 World Cup in which the French advanced to the quarterfinals, Les Bleus followed it up with a semifinal appearance at the 2022 European Championship. But France’s recent international successes have taken a backseat to its off-field turmoil. (In March, France fired its coach as it tried to address a growing mutiny from top players.) Despite the chaos, the French are still a tournament favorite.

Panama edged Paraguay, 1-0, to earn the final spot in the World Cup. Panama is the eighth first-time qualifier in the field, meaning a quarter of the 32-team tournament will be stepping onto the World Cup stage for the first time.

The Reggae Girlz are back for their second World Cup after a third-place finish in the CONCACAF W Championship. The team lost all of its group stage games in France in 2019, and recent performances haven’t been much better: They’ve recorded only two wins in 2023, over Morocco and a second-tier English club.

Italy finished atop its group at the 2019 World Cup, but finished dead last in its group at the 2022 European Championship. The Italians are unpredictable, and this year has been no different: They have three wins and two losses in 2023.

Sweden’s recent international record is impressive: a third-place finish at the 2019 World Cup, a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics and a semifinal appearance at last summer’s European Championship. The Swedes also handed the U.S. a 3-0 loss in Tokyo and have been known to cause the Americans problems. But to face the U.S., they will have to advance from a strong group. Early wins against South Africa and Italy would almost certainly be enough.

In three World Cup appearances, Argentina has yet to win a game. But that could change this year as the Argentines appear in top form. In seven straight friendly matches this year, they haven’t lost once.

South Africa makes its second World Cup appearance this year, fresh off winning its first Africa Cup of Nations title last year. The team lost all three of its games in France in 2019 and will be looking to the star striker Thembi Kgatlana to deliver better results this time around.

If anyone is worthy of the dark horse title at this year’s World Cup, it’s Colombia. The Cafeteras have only won two games this year, but their only loss in 2022 was to Brazil in the Copa America Femenina championship game. Keep an eye on Linda Caicedo and Mayra Ramirez in this tournament.

In eight World Cups, Germany has never failed to fall short of the quarterfinals, and given a kindly group draw — Morocco, Colombia and South Korea — there is little reason to believe they will not make the last eight again. Germany has a well-balanced squad and finished as runner-up in last summer’s European Championship, but has looked less certain lately, losing recent friendly games to Brazil and Zambia.

South Korea qualified for the World Cup by reaching the final of last year’s Asian Cup, where it fell to China, 3-2. The Koreans have rarely advanced from the group stage at a World Cup, but an abundance of talent in the midfield — Lee Geum-min, Cho So-hyun and Ji So-yun — could make all the difference this year.

Morocco qualified for its first World Cup with a run to the final of last year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), including a momentous win over 11-time AFCON champion Nigeria. The national team has grown from virtual nonexistence in recent years, and forwards Ghizlane Chebbak and Rosella Ayane may just provide enough spark to send the Atlas Lionesses to the knockout stage.