Presenting: Everything You Need to Know About the 2023 Women’s World Cup ⚽️

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is nothing short of the event of the summer for soccer fans around the world. With a slew of exciting matchups beginning in a little over a week, it’s time to read up on what you should know about the global championship just in time to cheer on your fave team.

But first! Let’s start with the calendar basics: The Women’s World Cup kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand and culminates in a final match on August 20, meaning you have an entire month of nail-biting, adrenaline-pumping games to look forward to.

Here’s what you should know about the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

‘Kay, first things first: What is the Women’s World Cup?

ICYMI, the Women’s World Cup is a quadrennial soccer championship—which is basically a fancy way of saying it’s held every four years—the first having taken place all the way back in 1991 in China. The soccer tournament is always hosted by different nations across the globe, and this time around it’s being held in Australia and New Zealand with the highest-ever number of teams competing: a whopping 32, which is a stark difference compared to the 12 who originally competed in 1991. In all, there have been nine Women’s World Cups held.

Who is playing in the 2023 Women’s World Cup?

The Women’s World Cup has continuously expanded the field of qualified teams from 12 when it first began, to 24 teams in the last edition back in 2019. This year, 32 teams are set to play, with two of those slots given as automatic qualifiers to the co-host nations (Australia and New Zealand).

To understand all of the teams playing, you also need to understand how the competition functions. Basically, it’ll begin with eight groups (aka Groups A through H) of four nations. Each team within each group will play a minimum of three games against each of their group rivals in what’s known as the “group stage matches,” and then the top two teams from each group will proceed to the top 16 teams, which begins the “knockout” stage of single-elimination games. This is then followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals, the third-place match, and the final championship game.

The eight starting groups in this year’s tournament are as follows:

• Group A: New Zealand, Philippines, Norway, Switzerland
• Group B: Australia, Ireland, Canada, Nigeria
• Group C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan
• Group D: England, Haiti, Denmark, China
• Group E: USA, Vietnam, Netherlands, Portugal
• Group F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Panama
• Group G: Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina
• Group H: Germany, Morocco, Columbia, South Korea

And here’s a pic for those of you who love a graphic (same):

When does the 2023 Women’s World Cup take place?

The Women’s World Cup will take place over the span of a month, with a total of 64 matches that are set to begin on July 20 and will last all the way through August 20. Here’s the breakdown of dates:

• Initial Group Stage Matches: July 20 through August 3
• Round of 16 Teams: August 5 to August 8
• Quarterfinals: August 11 and August 12
• Two Semi-Final Matches: August 15 and August 16
• Third Place Match: August 19
• Final Match: August 20

Who has won the Women’s World Cup in the past?

Only four countries have previously won the Women’s World Cup in previous years: the United States, Germany, Norway, and Japan, with each country having won a total of four, two, one, and one times, respectively. During the last Women’s World Cup in 2019, the United States won with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands during their final game in Lyon, France.

How can I tune in and watch the Women’s World Cup?

Great Q! Because the championship is a ~global~ event, there are tons of ways to tune in around the world. In the United States, however, coverage of the Women’s World Cup falls under FOX’s umbrella. Therefore, all of the games will be airing on FOX or FS1 for Americans, depending on the timing. When it comes to streaming, don’t sweat it. Fubo, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV are three *chef’s kiss* options that have these channels as well. Happy watching!