By Warren Johnson

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is almost here! Are you ready for a soccer-filled summer? We all are! As the excitement continues to build up ahead of the big kick-off on July 20, we’ve revisited some fascinating facts we thought you should know.  

1. It’s the First-Ever Dual-Host Women’s World Cup

This edition will be the first Women’s World Cup hosted by joint nations as Australia and New Zealand welcome teams from all corners of the world. It’ll also be the first senior World Cup to have more than one host since the 2002 men’s tournament held in Japan and South Korea. Of course, this won’t be the last multi-destination competition, as the men’s edition in 2026 will be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

New Zealand is set to host Group A, C, E, and F and the pathway for their own country should they qualify for the group stage. As a bigger country and with a richer footballing infrastructure, Australia is set to host more of the knockout phase, including the third-place playoff and the final.

2. It’s the Biggest Women’s World Cup

This version will have a stacked field of 32 teams! Previous editions have had a scarcity of teams, with the first incarnation in 1991 only having 12 participants. As a result, each confederation has a much larger pool of teams to qualify. 

Just to give you some perspective, the UEFA has 12 representatives this summer, CONCACAF and the AFC both have six, CAF will send four teams from Africa, CONMEBOL has three South American sides, and the only OFC team is New Zealand, one of the hosts. Of course, this only presents more teams for the USWNT to battle and add to their lineage, right?

3. Home Advantage Isn’t Always a Factor

Only one team has finished as the World Cup winners while playing on home soil, and that was back in 1999 when the US defeated China on penalties at the Rose Bowl. Australia is one of the tournament’s top picks, having defeated European Champions England earlier this year, and could buck this trend. New Zealand would, however, have to lift the trophy away from home as the final will take place in Sydney, Australia.

In fact, Asian teams representing the AFC have typically done better outside their own continent. China reached the final four in Sweden and the US but didn’t do as well when they hosted the tournament in 1991 and 2007. While never hosting the tournament themselves, Japan has done better when out of the confederation range, having lifted the title in Germany and then coming second in Canada. Australia is technically in the AFC jurisdiction but geographically might still be enough distance for them to do well if history is anything to go by.  

4. Tournament Top Scorer, Marta, Goes to Her Sixth World Cup

Cited by many as the greatest female footballer of all time, Marta is an iconic figure within the game. Now 37 years old, she’s had to change her game to fit the newer pace while also preserving her own body. Despite six World Cups not even being the record, she’s the all-time top scorer in the competition with 17 goals. 

As Brazil is drawn into a group with both Jamaica and Panama, Marta could be rubbing her hands at the prospect of bolstering her own record.

The star forward will most likely partner with her compatriot and Orlando Pride teammate, Adriana. The Brazilian attacking duo has been one of the better partnerships for the franchise in 2023. Add in Barcelona’s Geyse, and Andressa Alves from Roma, Marta has more than enough firepower behind and in front of her.

She, however, will not be joined by tournament history-maker, Formiga, this year. Between 1995 and 2019, Formiga played in all seven tournaments making her the lead overall tournament appearance maker. Could Marta match her record in 2027 and then beat it in 2031? Only time will tell. 

5. More Nations Set To Make Debut

The tournament’s expansion has created more spots to play, allowing multiple nations to debut on the world stage. Specifically, this year, the Philippines, Vietnam, Morocco, Zambia, Haiti, Panama, Portugal, and the Republic of Ireland will all play for the first time.  

Australia’s first match is against the Republic of Ireland in what could be one of the key matches throughout the group stage. The Philippines, Vietnam, and Zambia are especially notable, as none of their male counterparts have qualified for a World Cup prior.

The Bottomline 

There’s no doubt that the Women’s World Cup this summer will be one of a kind. While you can follow the action at home, nothing beats the experience of witnessing history in the making live from the stands while also exploring the beauty of the two host countries, Australia and New Zealand. At Bucket List Events, we can transform these dreams into reality. Contact us to learn more.