Group-by-group guide to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup

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GROUP A

New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland

The favourite: It has to be Norway, the 1995 World Cup winners and one of the main standard-bearers in the women’s game historically.

Having not progressed beyond the quarter-finals in their last three attempts, and after two consecutive group-stage exits at the Euros – the most recent including an embarrassing 8-0 defeat to England – they will be eager to restore their reputation.

Alen Stajcic has been making waves as Philippines coach.Credit: Getty

The dark horse: Any team coached by Alen Stajcic needs to be treated seriously — including the Philippines, who were a minnow in every sense until the former Matildas boss (controversially sacked in January 2019) took charge, scoured the world for footballers with Filipino heritage, and masterminded qualification for their first World Cup.

The superstar: There are few bigger names in the game than Ada Hederberg, who took out the very first Ballon d’Or Feminin in 2018. The year prior, she stood down from national team selection in protest at the way the Norwegian federation treated women’s football — a five-year boycott she only ended last year, making this her grand return to the World Cup stage.

Instant expert pub chat: The Kiwis are 0-15 when it comes to matches at the Women’s World Cup. It’s hard to see them breaking the duck this time, even accounting for co-hosting rights.

Must-see match: Don’t miss Philippines v Switzerland, at the brilliant Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on July 21— it will probably decide who finishes second.

Vince Rugari’s prediction: Norway to breeze through and the Philippines to emerge as shock round-of-16 qualifiers, which should lead to some very normal discourse in Australia.

GROUP B

Australia

The coach: After a rocky first two years in the chair, Swede Tony Gustavsson seems to have the Matildas peaking at exactly the right time, and the squad he has selected is the deepest in Australia’s World Cup history if not also the strongest, as several players seem to believe.

The mercurial Sam Kerr in action against France on Friday.Credit: Getty

The superstar: Two words: Sam Kerr. Do we really need to say anything else? Oh, fine then — she’s the best player in the world (it’s not arguable, we’re calling it) and it seems like her entire career was specifically designed to peak with a grandiose footballing coronation at this tournament.

The rising star: Mary Fowler is the obvious one, but we’ll go for the late-blooming Sydney FC star Cortnee Vine, a fearless, skilful pace merchant who will surely be tearing up the FA Women’s Super League very, very soon.

Cortnee Vine takes on the Spain defence in Australia’s Cup of Nations win in February.Credit: Getty

Instant expert pub chat: The Matildas aren’t named after the song, despite what most people think – they’re named after the 12-foot animatronic kangaroo mascot from the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. Just be grateful they’re not called the Socceroos.

Vince Rugari’s prediction: Home crowds will bring the best out of the Matildas, who will notch three terrific wins to advance to the knockout phase and avoid a tough first-up clash with England.

Ireland

The coach: She’s not everyone’s cup of tea — just ask her former players at the Houston Dash — but Vera Pauw is highly experienced, tactically shrewd and typically Dutch, with her absolutely-no-nonsense-whatsoever approach to pretty much everything.

The superstar: A toss-up between Arsenal’s Katie McCabe, the Irish captain, and former Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Denise O’Sullivan, who combined for 13 goals and 11 assists between them in their qualifying campaign.

The rising star: Among the many experienced heads in the Ireland squad is promising 18-year-old forward Abbie Larkin, who might have been a Matilda in another world; her parents almost settled in Australia 20 years ago.

Instant expert pub chat: The Irish team had to apologise after qualifying for this World Cup after singing a song with a pro-IRA chorus; the federation was fined €20,000 by UEFA for “a violation of the basic rules of decent conduct”. Also, Friday night’s ‘friendly’ with Colombia got a bit messy, didn’t it.

Vince Rugari’s prediction: They will frustrate the hell out of the Matildas but won’t be able to hold them out for 90 minutes. Ireland’s first World Cup appearance will be a series of gallant defeats.

Nigeria

The coach: Not everybody warmed to American Randy Waldrum when he was appointed in October 2020 based on a CV of managing college teams along with one NWSL stint with Houston. He has since overseen a semi-final exit from last year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Nigeria won 11 of the previous 13) and is now reportedly on the verge of being sacked by the Nigerian Football Federation for criticising its “lack of support” for the team.

The superstar: It’s hard to go past the first African woman to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or. Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala has wits, pace and 90 goals from 96 appearances for the UEFA Women’s Champions League holders.

Barcelona’s Nigerian star Asisat Oshoala.Credit: Getty

The rising star: She is only 19 but Deborah Abiodun has already positioned herself as a creative force for the future. Having impressed at last year’s Under-20 World Cup, the Nigeria-based Rivers Angels youngster appears the key link between midfield and the final third.

Instant expert pub chat: Waldrum is in open dispute with the Nigerian Football Federation, claiming in an explosive interview last week that some players haven’t been paid for two years and he was owed 14 months’ salary. Six senior players reportedly held a lengthy meeting upon arrival in Australia after the NFF told them they wouldn’t be paid match bonuses for the tournament, and have threatened to go on strike for their opening match against Canada to force the issue.

Emma Kemp’s prediction: Despite having qualified for every tournament to date, the spoiled preparations make it very difficult for the Super Falcons to get out of this group.

Canada

The coach: Having already steered Canada to Tokyo Olympics gold, Bev Priestman has the capacity to take Canada deep into this tournament. The English former assistant to Phil Neville’s England team that placed fourth at the 2019 World Cup is well suited to knockout football and has cultivated a miserly defence.

The superstar: Christine Sinclair. The legendary forward will be contesting her sixth World Cup at the age of 40 with perhaps the biggest motivation yet to finish her career with a maiden trophy on this stage. But midfielder Jessie Fleming has also risen in form and profile since joining Chelsea in 2020.

The rising star: Nineteen-year-old Simi Awujo was eligible to represent both the United States (the country of her birth) and Nigeria (the country of her parents’ birth) but chose Canada (where her mother holds citizenship). Despite only being in the senior set-up for less than a year, the versatile midfielder was named 2022 Canada young player of the year.

Canada squad members have a laugh during a training session in Toronto last month.Credit: AP

Instant expert pub chat: Like many rivals, Canada are in a pay dispute with the national federation, which in turn is considering filing for bankruptcy protection. Players wanted the issue settled before the tournament but said they will play regardless.

Emma Kemp’s prediction: Top two. Whether first or second depends very much on how Australia play and whether the remuneration issue is too much of a distraction.

GROUP C

Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan

The favourites: Even a depleted Spain can still win this group in the blink of an eye but there are caveats, the big one being the highly public internal conflict between the players and coach Jorge Vilda. Last year 15 declared they would not play for him and, while some have returned, an implosion never seems far away. Still, they are the only nation inside the top 10 (sixth). Japan will give them a run for their money.

Jorge Vilda with his depleted Spain team in October 2022.Credit: Getty

The dark horse: The aforementioned Japan have been a team in transition since winning in 2011 and coming runners-up in 2015, but the new generation are emerging and are primed to rock the boat.

The superstar: Back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas only recently returned from an ACL injury and, while the Barcelona midfielder may not be fit to start all group-stage matches, she remains the reference point for Spain.

Instant expert pub chat: The captain of World Cup debutants Zambia, Barbra Banda, was a professional boxer before settling on football. The 23-year-old forward won all five of her bantamweight division fights with Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotion.

Must-see match: Don’t miss Japan v Spain at Wellington’s Sky Stadium on July 31 for a battle set to decide the group’s top two.

Emma Kemp’s prediction: Costa Rica will trip up a higher-ranked opponent but Spain and Japan will still go through.

GROUP D

England, Haiti, Denmark, China

The favourites: The Lionesses of England won the Euros last year, taking interest levels in women’s football to unprecedented levels. The FA Women’s Super League is emerging as the world’s premier competition, and all of England’s stars play for the biggest clubs in it — except for a few who play for Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Alrighty then!

Leah Williamson becomes the first England captain since 1966 to lift a major football trophy.Credit: Getty Images

The dark horse: Anyone who watched China‘s ‘Steel Roses’ give the Matildas an almighty fright in their Tokyo Olympics qualifiers a couple of years back will know they are not a team to be taken lightly.

The superstar: England are missing a few through injury but their right-back Lucy Bronze is one of the best on the planet. Her dazzling set of skills make her a complete two-way player, as good going forward as she is stopping other teams from doing the same.

Instant expert pub chat: The story behind Haiti’s first World Cup is a belter: they have no sponsors, no funding aside from what FIFA provides, the country is experiencing what the UN describes as a ‘catastrophic’ hunger crisis, and the former head of the national federation was banned from the sport three years ago after “credible reports” that he’d sexually abused female players, plunging Haitian football into a crisis which meant the team hasn’t played at home since. Despite all this, they somehow sealed qualification with a last-gasp goal against Chile in their second play-off.

Must-see match: Matildas-related permutations aside, China v England on August 1 will be amazing — largely because of Adelaide’s Coopers Stadium, the best football-specific venue in the country, which should further amplify the high quality of play these two teams will be capable of.

Vince Rugari’s prediction: It’ll be England going through on top, but it’s a coin flip between Denmark and China for the other spot.

GROUP E

United States, Vietnam, Netherlands, Portugal

Megan Rapinoe has announced she will retire after the tournament.Credit: Getty

The favourites: The United States are back-to-back reigning champions and haven’t moved from the top of the FIFA rankings since 2008 bar a couple of brief slips to second several years ago.

The dark horse: Portugal drew with European champions England earlier this month. Results have not been consistent — they slumped out at the group stage of Euro 2022 — but the world No.21s have the potential to spring an upset.

The superstar: She is 38 and on the brink of retirement but Megan Rapinoe is still only four years on from winning both the golden boot and golden ball at France 2019 and can still bang in the goals. Look out too for Netherlands and Manchester City midfielder Jill Roord.

Instant expert pub chat: In qualifying Vietnam, coach Mai Duc Chung has led his country’s first team — men’s or women’s — to a World Cup. In June Vietnam held their own in a 2-1 loss to Germany but on Friday night were decimated 9-0 by Spain in their final friendly.

Must-see match: Without a doubt the 2019 final rematch between the US and the Netherlands at Sky Stadium in Wellington. The US repeated their 2-0 win in France with another identical scoreline in a 2020 friendly but they have not played each other since.

Emma Kemp’s prediction: The US to finish first and the Netherlands second. Nothing more to it.

GROUP F

France, Jamaica, Brazil, Panama

The favourites: Quarter-finalists at the last two tournaments, France have won six of their last seven games and have been almost flawless since the appointment of the genuinely flawless Herve Renard, who we’ll get to in a moment.

The dark horse: It’s hard to see them challenging the supremacy of France and Brazil, but Jamaica should not be taken lightly. Not when they’ve got Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, the Manchester City superstar and WSL golden boot runner-up leading the attacking line. She’s one of the best strikers in the game.

The superstar: This will be World Cup number six for the legendary Brazilian star Marta, one of the true icons of the women’s game who is still going at age 37. Catch her while you still can.

Herve Renard has stepped in to bring France back from the brink.Credit: Reuters

Instant expert pub chat: Yes, Herve Renard’s chiselled jaw does look familiar: he’s the guy who coached Saudi Arabia’s men to that famous win over Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar. He’s also the only coach to have won the African Cup of Nations with two different countries, Zambia (2012) and Ivory Coast (2015). Guy’s a genius.

Must-see match: Lucky Brisbane. France v Brazil at Suncorp Stadium on July 29 is a rematch of the quarter-final from the last World Cup, and another chapter in one of football’s great rivalries.

Vince Rugari’s prediction: France top, Brazil second, and ‘Bunny’ Shaw to go bananas against Panama.

Sweden beat Australia in the semi-finals of the Tokyo Olympics two years ago.Credit: Getty

GROUP G

Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina

The favourites: Sweden leap out like the proverbial salmon in this group, having finished third in 2019 and won Tokyo Olympics silver in 2021. There is a sense Peter Gerhardsson’s side have been building towards a deep run — or even the trophy — here.

The dark horse: Who goes through with Sweden is less clear. Seventeenth-ranked Italy would have appeared a shoo-in but their coach, Milena Bertolini, is under pressure after a disappointing Euros, which opens the door for both South Africa and Argentina.

The superstar: Sweden is packs full of elites but the one who shines brightest is Fridolina Rolfo. The 29-year-old scored the winner in Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League final triumph and can be considered, in her current form, one of the world’s most potent attackers.

Fridolina Rolfo (right) takes on Australia’s Hayley Raso in Tokyo.Credit: Reuters

Instant expert pub chat: Striker Yamila Rodriguez plays for Argentina — the country of Lionel Messi — but has a massive tattoo of Cristiano Ronaldo on her left shin and says he and Diego Maradona (she also has ink of him) “are the best players in the history of football”.

Must-see match: This group could come down to Argentina v South Africa on July 28 at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium. Expect fire and brimstone.

Emma Kemp’s prediction: Sweden to swan through and Argentina to squeak out of the group in second.

GROUP H

Germany, Morocco, Colombia, South Korea

The favourites: They stick out like a sore thumb here, the Germans and their perennial excellence, but their world has just been rocked by a surprise 3-2 friendly defeat to Zambia — so maybe they won’t walk this group like most well-credentialed observers assume they will.

The dark horse: Only once have South Korea made it out of their group at this tournament, but they’ve got the quality to do it here.

The superstar: Goal-scoring machine Alexandra Popp sits comfortably in the uppermost part of the women’s game’s top echelon of players. She’s been banging them in for fun for club (VfL Wolfsburg) and country for over a decade, and tied for the golden boot at the 2022 Euros.

Instant expert pub chat: Born to an American father and Korean mother, 16-year-old Casey Phair is the first multi-racial footballer, male or female, to be called up by South Korea’s national team.

Must-see match: The clash between Colombia and South Korea at the new Allianz Stadium on July 25 could very well settle who finishes second behind Germany.

Vince Rugari’s prediction: Football is a simple game, to steal a line from Gary Lineker: 22 women chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans finish top of the group. Korea to sneak in behind them.

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