2023 Women's World Cup Draw: Results, group stages set for field
The 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand won't kick off until July 20, but the 32 teams that will compete for the trophy were placed in their groups at the draw in Auckland on Saturday.
Each team had their names drawn from one of four pots. Pot 1 typically includes the top seven teams in the tournament based on the FIFA Women's World Rankings, plus the host nation, but since Australia and New Zealand are co-hosting, they were both in Pot 1 with the United States, England, Germany, France, Spain and Sweden.
Pots 2, 3 and 4 followed suit with World Rankings, however, with two hosts nations vacating spots in Pots 1 and 2, the Netherlands — ranked eighth in the world — were drawn into a group with the USWNT, who are ranked No. 1. That sets up a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final, which the U.S. won 2-0.
All games will air on the FOX family of networks.
Here's a detailed look at each group:
GROUP A
A1: New Zealand
FIFA World Ranking: 22
Sixth World Cup appearance
Never advanced past group stage
A2: Norway
FIFA World Ranking: 12
Ninth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Champions (1995)
A3: Philippines
FIFA World Ranking: 53
First-ever World Cup
A4: Switzerland
FIFA World Ranking: 21
Second World Cup appearance
Best finish: Round of 16 (2015)
GROUP B
B1: Australia
FIFA World Ranking: 13
Eighth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Quarterfinals (2007, 2011, 2015)
B2: Ireland
FIFA World Ranking: 24
First-ever World Cup appearance
B3: Nigeria
FIFA World Ranking: 45
Ninth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1999)
B4: Canada
FIFA World Ranking: 7
Eighth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Fourth place (2003)
GROUP C
C1: Spain
FIFA World Ranking: 6
Third World Cup appearance
Best finish: Round of 16 (2019)
C2: Costa Rica
FIFA World Ranking: 37
Second World Cup appearance
Never advanced past group stage
C3: Zambia
FIFA World Ranking: 81
First-ever World Cup appearance
C4: Japan
FIFA World Ranking: 11
Ninth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Champions (2011)
GROUP D
D1: England
FIFA World Ranking: 4
Sixth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Round of 16 (2019)
D2: Group B playoff-winner (Chile, Senegal or Haiti)
D3: Denmark
FIFA World Ranking: 18
Fifth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1991, 1995)
D4: China
FIFA World Ranking: 15
Eighth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Runners-up (1999)
GROUP E
E1: United States
FIFA World Ranking: 1
Ninth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Champions (1991, 1999, 2015, 2019)
E2: Vietnam
FIFA World Ranking: 34
First-ever World Cup appearance
E3: Netherlands
FIFA World Ranking: 8
Third World Cup appearance
Best finish: Runners-up (2019)
E4: Group A playoff-winner (Portugal, Thailand or Cameroon)
GROUP F
F1: France
FIFA World Ranking: 5
Fifth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Fourth place (2011)
F2: Jamaica
FIFA World Ranking: 43
Second World Cup appearance
Never advanced past group stage
F3: Brazil
FIFA World Ranking: 9
Ninth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Runners-up (2007)
F4: Group C playoff-winner (Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay or Panama)
GROUP G
G1: Sweden
FIFA World Ranking: 2
Ninth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Runners-up (2003)
G2: South Africa
FIFA World Ranking: 54
Second World Cup appearance
Never advanced past group stage
G3: Italy
FIFA World Ranking: 14
Fourth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Quarterfinals (1991, 2019)
G4: Argentina
FIFA World Ranking: 29
Fourth World Cup appearance
Never advanced past group stage
GROUP H
H1: Germany
FIFA World Ranking: 3
Ninth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Champions (2003, 2007)
H2: Morocco
FIFA World Ranking: 76
First-ever World Cup
H3: Colombia
FIFA World Ranking: 27
Third World Cup appearance
Best finish: Round of 16 (2015)
H4: South Korea
FIFA World Ranking: 17
Fourth World Cup appearance
Best finish: Round of 16 (2015)