| Ipu Wahine o te Ao Whīwha i 2023 (Māori)[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Tournament details | |
| Host countries | Australia New Zealand |
| Dates | 20 July – 20 August |
| Teams | 32 (from 6 confederations) |
| Venue | 10 (in 9 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Spain (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  England |
| Third place |  Sweden |
| Fourth place |  Australia |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 64 |
| Goals scored | 164 (2.56 per match) |
| Attendance | 1,978,274 (30,911 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Hinata Miyazawa(5 goals) |
| Best player | Aitana Bonmatí |
| Best young player | Salma Paralluelo |
| Bestgoalkeeper | Mary Earps |
| Fair play award | Japan |
←2019 2027 → | |
| Part of a series on the |
| 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup |
|---|
Qualification |
Promotional and related media
|
Controversies |
The2023 FIFA Women's World Cup was the ninth edition of theFIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international women'sfootball championship contested bywomen's national teams and organised byFIFA. The tournament, which took place from 20 July to 20 August 2023, was jointly hosted byAustralia andNew Zealand.[2][3][4] It was the first FIFA Women's World Cup with more than one host nation, as well as the first World Cup to be held across multipleconfederations, as Australia is in theAsian confederation, while New Zealand is in theOceanian confederation. It was also the first Women's World Cup to be held in theSouthern Hemisphere.[5]
This tournament was the first to feature an expanded format of 32 teams from the previous 24, replicating the format used for themen's World Cup from1998 to2022.[2] Theopening match was won by co-hostNew Zealand, beatingNorway atEden Park inAuckland on 20 July 2023 and achieving their first Women's World Cup victory.[6]
Spain were crowned champions after defeating reigningEuropean championsEngland 1–0 inthe final. It was the first time a European nation had won the Women's World Cup since2007 and Spain's first title, although their victory was marred by theRubiales affair.[7][8][9] Spain became the second nation to win both the women's andmen's World Cup since Germany in the2003 edition.[10] In addition, they became the first nation to concurrently hold the FIFA women'sU-17,U-20, and senior World Cups.[11]Sweden would claim their fourth bronze medal at the Women's World Cup while co-hostAustralia achieved their best placing yet, finishing fourth.[12] Japanese playerHinata Miyazawa won theGolden Boot scoring five goals throughout the tournament. Spanish playerAitana Bonmatí was voted the tournament's best player, winning theGolden Ball, whilst Bonmatí's teammateSalma Paralluelo was awarded theYoung Player Award. England goalkeeperMary Earps won theGolden Glove, awarded to the best-performing goalkeeper of the tournament.
Of the eight teams making their first appearance,Morocco were the only one to advance to the round of 16 (where they lost toFrance; coincidentally, the result of this fixture was similar to themen's World Cup in Qatar, where France defeated Morocco in the semi-final). TheUnited States were the two-time defending champions,[13] but were eliminated in the round of 16 by Sweden, the first time the team had not made the semi-finals at the tournament, and the first time the defending champions failed to progress to the quarter-finals.[14]
Australia's team, nicknamed the Matildas, performed better than expected, and the eventsaw many Australians unite to support them.[15][16][17] The Matildas, who beatFrance to make the semi-finals for the first time, saw record numbers of fans watching their games, their3–1 loss to England becoming themost watched television broadcast in Australian history, with an average viewership of 7.13 million and a peak viewership of 11.15 million viewers.[18]
It was the most attended edition of the competition ever held.[19]
TheFIFA Women's World Cup is a professional association football (soccer) tournament contested by senior women's national football teams, organised byFIFA.[20] The tournament, held every four years and one year after the men's World Cup, wasfirst played in 1991 in China, and was expanded to 32 teams beginning with the 2023 edition. The tournament is contested with eightround-robin groups followed by aknockout round for 16 teams. The defending champions were theUnited States, who defeated theNetherlands 2–0 in the2019 final.[21][13] The event took place over a period of a month, from 20 July to 20 August, in Australia and New Zealand. This Women's World Cup was the first co-hosted tournament, and also the first senior World Cup to be held across multiple confederations. In addition, it was the first senior tournament to be held inOceania, the first Women's World Cup in theSouthern Hemisphere, and the third to be held in theAsia-Pacific region, after1991 and2007.
The match schedule was announced by FIFA on 1 December 2021,[22][23] with kick-off times confirmed on 24 October 2022, two days after the final draw.[24][25]
The opening match of the tournament, between co-host New Zealand and Norway, wasplayed on 20 July 2023 atEden Park. The inaugural match played in Australia, was betweenAustralia playing against the Republic of Ireland on the same day atStadium Australia, after a venue change due to strong ticketing demand.[26]
The total prize pool wasUSD 110 million, $80 million greater than the prize pool of theprevious tournament.[27]
At previous tournaments, FIFA paid total prize money to the national associations, but for the 2023 Women's World Cup it was set to award prize payments directly to players as well as the associations. This came as a result of reports in the women's game that a number of national associations were withholding competition prize money from players and/or not paying them at all.[27] In March 2023, global player unionFIFPRO sent a letter signed by players from around the world to FIFA, challenging FIFA to make prize money in the men's and women's tournaments equal and to ensure at least 30% of prize money in the women's tournament made it to the players. While FIFA did not match the prize money of the men's tournament, it did significantly increase it, with more than half set to be paid to players directly.[28]
Just before the tournament, FIFA presidentGianni Infantino announced that the player payments would still be paid to the associations, and that FIFA planned to audit the associations to make sure the money got to the players. Football administratorLise Klaveness expressed concern over what she felt sounded like reneging on the promise, both for the players and for FIFA's credibility.[29] During the tournament, Infantino admitted that FIFA had simply made recommendations to associations on how much to pay players, and they could not reasonably check.[30]
| Place | Teams | Amount (inU.S. dollars) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per association | Per player* | Total | ||
| Champions | 1 | $4,290,000 | $270,000 | $10,500,000 |
| Runners-up | 1 | $3,015,000 | $195,000 | $7,500,000 |
| Third place | 1 | $2,610,000 | $180,000 | $6,750,000 |
| Fourth place | 1 | $2,455,000 | $165,000 | $6,250,000 |
| 5th–8th place (quarter-finals) | 4 | $2,180,000 | $90,000 | $17,000,000 |
| 9th–16th place (round of 16) | 8 | $1,870,000 | $60,000 | $26,000,000 |
| 17th–32nd place (group stage) | 16 | $1,560,000 | $30,000 | $36,000,000 |
| Total | 32 | $110,000,000 | ||
Bidding began for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on 19 February 2019.[31] Member associations interested in hosting the tournament had to submit a declaration of interest by 15 March, and provide the completed bidding registration by 16 April. However, FIFA revised the bidding timeline as the tournament expanded to 32 teams on 31 July.[32] Other member associations interested in hosting the tournament then had until 16 August to submit a declaration of interest, while the completed bidding registration of new member associations and re-confirmation of prior bidders was due by 2 September.[33]
Nine countries initially indicated interest in hosting the events: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, South Korea (with interest in a joint bid with North Korea), New Zealand and South Africa.[34] Belgium expressed interest in hosting the tournament following the new deadline but later dropped out, as did Bolivia, in September 2019.[35][36]Australia and New Zealand later announced they would merge their bids in a joint submission.[37]Brazil,Colombia, andJapan joined them in submitting their bid books to FIFA by 13 December.[38] However, both Brazil and Japan later withdrew their bids in June 2020 before the final voting.[39][40]
On 25 June 2020, Australia and New Zealand won the bid to host the Women's World Cup.[41] The decision came after a vote by theFIFA Council, with the winning bid earning 22 votes, while Colombia earned 13.[42] Neither country had previously hosted a senior FIFA tournament. This was the first Women's World Cup to be hosted in multiple countries, and only the second World Cup tournament to do so, following the2002 FIFA World Cup, held in Japan and South Korea. It was also the first FIFA Women's World Cup to be held in theSouthern Hemisphere, the first senior FIFA tournament to be held inOceania, and the first FIFA tournament to be hosted across multiple confederations (with Australia in theAFC and New Zealand in theOFC). Australia became the second association from the AFC to host the Women's World Cup, after China in both1991 and2007.[43]
| Bidding nation(s) | Votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | ||||
| Australia & New Zealand | 22 | |||
| Colombia | 13 | |||
| Recused | 2 | |||
| Total votes | 35 | |||
| Majority required | 18 | |||
In July 2019, Infantino proposed an expansion of the Women's World Cup from 24 to 32 teams, starting with the 2023 edition, and doubling the tournament's prize money.[44] The proposal came following the success of the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and theprior edition of the tournament in 2015, which after increasing from 16 to 24 teams set an attendance record for all FIFA competitions besides the men's FIFA World Cup.[45] Expanding the tournament to allow eight additional participating teams gave more member associations a greater opportunity to qualify for the final tournament. This fostered the growing reach and professionalisation of the women's game.[46]
On 31 July, theFIFA Council unanimously decided to expand the tournament to 32 teams, featuring eight groups of four.[32]
The astounding success of this year's FIFA Women's World Cup in France made it very clear that this is the time to keep the momentum going and take concrete steps to foster the growth of women's football. I am glad to see this proposal becoming a reality.
The tournament opened with a group stage consisting of eight groups of four teams, with the top two teams progressing from each group to aknockout tournament featuring 16 teams. The number of games played overall increased from 52 to 64. The tournament replicated the format of the men'sFIFA World Cup used between1998 and2022. For the first time since the2002 FIFA World Cup, both qualified teams from each group were kept on the same side of the draw in the knockout stage, meaning they would meet again in the semi-final instead of the final if they advanced that far. This was to minimize travel between Australia and New Zealand and to ensure both host nations remained in their own country up to the semi-finals should they qualify.[47]
Australia and New Zealand proposed 13 possible venues across 12 host cities for the tournament in the bid book submitted to FIFA, suggesting a minimum of 10 stadiums be used—5 in each country.[48] The original proposal of the joint bid would have seen the venues divided into three main travel hubs: South Hub, containing Perth, Adelaide, Launceston and Melbourne; East Hub, containing Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne and Launceston; and New Zealand Hub, containing Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. TheSydney Football Stadium was the only new stadium, undergoing a major renovation during the bid period, replacingthe old football stadium on the same site and opening on 28 August 2022.[49]
The bid evaluation was released on 10 June 2020 by FIFA, which noted that the majority of the stadiums listed in the bid meet FIFA's hosting requirements with capacity, aside from Adelaide and Auckland, which did not meet the minimum requirements capacity wise for stages of the competition proposed for.[50] Most stadiums featured in the bid were planned to have minor renovations with new floodlighting, pitch renovations,[51] in addition togender-neutral changing rooms in time for the tournament.[52]
On 31 March 2021, FIFA announced the final host city and venue selections. Five cities and six stadiums were used in Australia, along with four cities and stadiums in New Zealand. From the proposed venues,Newcastle andLaunceston were not selected in Australia andChristchurch was omitted in New Zealand.Eden Park inAuckland hosted the opening game, withStadium Australia inSydney hosting the final match.[53][54] As a part of the branding, all cities used native names (Indigenous in Australia andMāori in New Zealand) alongside their English names in an effort to "reconcile and respect the original owners of the land".[55] They were: Tarntanya (Adelaide), Meanjin (written as Meaanjin; Brisbane), Naarm (Melbourne), Boorloo (Perth),Gadigal (Eastern Sydney; for Sydney Football Stadium),Wangal (Western Sydney; for Stadium Australia), Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Ōtepoti (Dunedin), Kirikiriroa (Hamilton), and Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington).[56]
Eden Park, Auckland hosted New Zealand's opening match;Stadium Australia, Sydney hosted Australia's opening match (both group stages).Lang Park, Brisbane, hosted the third-place match on 19 August; Stadium Australia hosted the final which was held on 20 August.[57]
The Women's World Cup forced many domestic Australian sporting teams to move matches from grounds under the FIFA lockout, particularly those in theNational Rugby League.[58]
| Australia |  New Zealand | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Brisbane | Auckland | Wellington | ||
| Stadium Australia | Sydney Football Stadium | Lang Park (Brisbane Stadium) | Eden Park | Wellington Regional Stadium | |
| Capacity: 75,784[59] | Capacity: 40,583[60] | Capacity: 49,461[61] | Capacity: 43,217[62] | Capacity: 33,132[63] | |
.jpg) |  | .jpg) | .jpg) | .jpg) | |
| Melbourne | Perth | Adelaide | Dunedin | Hamilton | |
| Melbourne Rectangular Stadium | Perth Rectangular Stadium | Hindmarsh Stadium | Forsyth Barr Stadium(Dunedin Stadium) | Waikato Stadium | |
| Capacity: 27,706[64] | Capacity: 18,727[65] | Capacity: 13,557[66] | Capacity: 25,947[67] | Capacity: 18,009[68] | |
.jpg) |  |  | .jpg) |  | |
Team base camps
Base camps were used by the 32 national squads to stay and train before and during the Women's World Cup tournament. FIFA announced the hotels and training sites for the 29 qualified participating nations on 11 December 2022, with the remaining 3 qualified teams selecting their base camps after the Play-off Tournament.[69] FIFA later confirmed the last remaining three base camps for the play-off tournament winners on 21 March 2023.[70] It was the first World Cup to have dedicated base camps for the 32 participating nations.[71]
| Team | Hotel | Training site |
|---|---|---|
 Argentina | Novotel Auckland – Ellerslie | Michaels Avenue Reserve, Auckland |
| Australia | Rydges Brisbane – South Bank | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre |
 Brazil | Best Western Hotel North Lakes | Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex |
 Canada | Mercure Melbourne – Doncaster | Olympic Park, Heidelberg West |
 China | Pullman Adelaide | Croatian Sports Centre, Adelaide |
 Colombia | Mercure Sydney – Liverpool | Marconi Stadium |
 Costa Rica | Distinction Christchurch Hotel | Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub |
 Denmark | DoubleTree by Hilton Perth – Waterfront | Kingsway Reserve |
| England | Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific | Central Coast Stadium |
 France | Grand Mercure Hills Lodge | Valentine Sports Park 1 |
 Germany | Mercure Kooindah Waters | Central Coast Regional Sporting & Recreation Complex |
 Haiti | Rendezvous Hotel Perth Scarborough | Percy Doyle Reserve |
 Italy | GrandMillennium Auckland | Shepherds Park |
 Jamaica | Novotel Melbourne – Preston | Victorian State Football Centre |
| Japan | Rydges Latimer Christchurch | Christchurch Stadium |
 Morocco | Lancemore Mansion Hotel Werribee Park | Galvin Park Reserve |
 Netherlands | Trinity Wharf – Tauranga | Bay Oval |
| New Zealand | Pullman Auckland Hotel & Apartments | Keith Hay Park |
 Nigeria | Sofitel Brisbane Central | Lions Stadium |
 Norway | M Social Auckland | Seddon Fields |
 Panama | The Playford Adelaide – MGallery | Adelaide United Training Centre |
 Philippines | Mövenpick Hotel | Olympic Park Auckland |
 Portugal | Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre | Māngere Centre Park |
 Republic of Ireland | Emporium Hotel South Bank | Goodwin Park |
 South Africa | InterContinental Hotel Wellington | Porirua Park |
 South Korea | Rydges Campbelltown | Campbelltown Sports Stadium |
| Spain | Copthorne Palmerston North | Massey Sport Institute Palmerston North |
| Sweden | NZCIS Accommodation Wellington | NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport |
 Switzerland | Distinction Dunedin Hotel | Tahuna Park |
 United States | Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour | Bay City Park |
 Vietnam | Rydges Auckland | Fred Taylor Park |
 Zambia | Novotel Hamilton – Tainui | Korikori Park |
FIFA's confederations organised their qualifications throughcontinental championships, with the exception ofUEFA which organised its ownqualifying competition. Australia and New Zealand, as co-hosts, qualified automatically for the tournament, leaving the remaining 207FIFA member associations eligible to enter qualification if they chose to do so. Australia competed at the2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, whilst New Zealand did not enter theOFC Women's Nations Cup the same year. The reigningWomen's World Cup championsUnited States competed in qualification through theCONCACAF W Championship.[72][73]
TheChadian andPakistani football associations were suspended by FIFA, thus excluding them from entering qualifications.[74]Rwanda,Sudan,DR Congo andSão Tomé and Príncipe entered qualification but withdrew later.[75][76][77][78]Kenya withdrew before the second round of qualifiers.[79]North Korea andTurkmenistan withdrew from theWomen's Asian Cup qualifiers due to safety concerns and travel restrictions related to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[80]Iraq withdrew after the AFC draw.[81] Due to the uncertainty of women's sport after theTalibantakeover of the country,Afghanistan withdrew from qualification.[82] Due toCOVID-19 pandemic outbreaks in their squads, Women's Asian Cup hostsIndia withdrew from qualification.[83]American Samoa withdrew due to continuing difficulties related to the pandemic.[84]Russia were disqualified from competing due to theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[85]
The allocation of slots for each confederation was confirmed by the FIFA Council on 25 December 2020. The slots for the two host nations were taken directly from the quotas allocated to their confederations.[86]
A ten-teamplay-off tournament decided the final three spots at the Women's World Cup. The play-off slot allocation was as follows:[87][88]
Of the 32 nations qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, 20 countries competed at the previous tournament in 2019.Haiti,Morocco,Panama, thePhilippines,Portugal, theRepublic of Ireland,Vietnam andZambia made their debuts at the FIFA Women's World Cup. This World Cup was the firstFIFA tournament the Philippines played in. This was Panama, Portugal and Vietnam's first FIFA women's competition, having only taken part in various FIFA men's tournaments. Zambia made history as the first landlocked country in Africa to qualify for a World Cup for either sex. Morocco became the first-ever Arab country to qualify for the Women's World Cup, while the Republic of Ireland marked their debut at any senior women's tournament.Denmark made their first appearance in 16 years after missing three consecutive tournaments, their last appearance being in2007.Costa Rica,Colombia andSwitzerland returned to the tournament after missing the previous one in2019.Italy qualified for two consecutive women's World Cups for the first time in their history, after three sporadic appearances in 1991, 1999 and 2019.[89][88] Africa had four representatives for the first time in the competition's history.[90]
Thailand,Cameroon,Chile, andScotland, all of whom qualified for the 2019 Women's World Cup, did not qualify for the 2023 tournament.Iceland was the highest ranked team in theFIFA Women's World Rankings that failed to qualify, ranked 16th at the time.[A]Zambia were the lowest ranked team to qualify, ranked 81st at the time.[91]
The qualified teams, listed by region, with numbers in parentheses indicating final positions in theFIFA Women's World Ranking before the tournament were:[92]
AFC (6)
Australia (10) (co-hosts) China (14) Japan (11) Philippines (46) South Korea (17) Vietnam (32)CAF (4)
Morocco (72) Nigeria (40) South Africa (54) Zambia (77)CONCACAF (6)
Canada (7) Costa Rica (36) Haiti (53) Jamaica (43) Panama (52) United States (1)CONMEBOL (3)
OFC (1)
New Zealand (26) (co-hosts)UEFA (12)
Denmark (13) England (4) France (5) Germany (2) Italy (16) Netherlands (9) Norway (12) Portugal (21) Republic of Ireland (22) Spain (6) Sweden (3) Switzerland (20)
Each team had to provide to FIFA a preliminary squad of between 35 and 55 players, which FIFA did not publish. From the preliminary squad, each team had to name a final squad of 23 players (three of whom must be goalkeepers) by 9 July 2023. Players in the final squad could be replaced by a player from the preliminary squad due to serious injury or illness up to 24 hours prior to kickoff of the team's first match.[93]
The final draw took place at theAotea Centre inAuckland, New Zealand, on 22 October 2022 at 19:30NZDT (UTC+13), prior to the completion ofqualification.[94][95] The three winners of theinter-confederation play-off were not known at the time of the draw.[96]
Retired American international and two-time Women's World Cup winnerCarli Lloyd andCNN International sports presenterAmanda Davies conducted the draw. Each confederation had a retired international representing them as a draw assistant:Maia Jackman of New Zealand for the OFC andJulie Dolan of Australia for the AFC, alongside men's internationalsIan Wright of England for UEFA,Alexi Lalas of the United States for CONCACAF,Geremi of Cameroon for the CAF and2002 World Cup winnerGilberto Silva of Brazil for CONMEBOL. Snowboarding Olympic gold medalistZoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand and four-time swimming Olympic gold medalistCate Campbell of Australia also assisted the draw.[97]
For the draw, the 32 teams were allocated into four pots based on theFIFA Women's World Rankings of 13 October 2022. Pot one contained both co-hosts New Zealand and Australia (both automatically placed in positions A1 and B1, respectively) along with the best six teams. Pot two contained the next best eight teams, with the next best eight teams being allocated into the following pot (pot three). Pot four contained the lowest ranked teams, along with the placeholders for the three inter-confederation play-off winners. With the exception of UEFA, teams from the same confederation could not be drawn in the same group. However, since each inter-confederation play-off group contained multiple confederations, the placeholders were identified by the seeded teams in their respective play-off pathways to avoid any draw constraints. The draw started with pot one and ended with pot four, with the team selected being allocated to the first available group alphabetically. Pot 1 teams were automatically drawn to position 1 of each group, with the following positions drawn for the remaining pots. The pots for the draws are shown below.[98]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (22)(co-hosts) Australia (13)(co-hosts) United States (1)(title holders) Sweden (2) Germany (3) England (4) France (5) Spain (6) | Canada (7) Netherlands (8) Brazil (9) Japan (11) Norway (12) Italy (14) China (15) South Korea (17) | Denmark (18) Switzerland (21) Republic of Ireland (24) Colombia (27) Argentina (29) Vietnam (34) Costa Rica (37) Jamaica (43) | Nigeria (45) Philippines (53) South Africa (54) Morocco (76) Zambia (81) Winner ofPlay-off Group A[a] Winner ofPlay-off Group B[b] Winner ofPlay-off Group C[c] |
In January 2023, the FIFA Referees Committee announced the list of 33 referees, 55 assistant referees, and 19video assistant referees (VAR) for the tournament. Of the 33 referees, FIFA included 2 each from Australia, Canada, South Korea, and the United States.[99]
France'sStéphanie Frappart,Salima Mukansanga from Rwanda, andYoshimi Yamashita from Japan, who became the first female referees to officiate the men's World Cup in 2022, were among those selected for the Women's World Cup. They were also joined by female assistant referees Neuza Back, Kathryn Nesbitt, and Karen Díaz Medina, who also participated at the men's tournament.[99]
Heba Saadieh became the first Palestinian and Arab female referee to officiate at a World Cup of either gender. Firas Abu Hilal, secretary general of thePalestinian Football Association labelled Saadia as "a role model for Palestinian women who aspire to achieve success and greatness" and that she "has proven the ability of Palestinian women to excel in any field".[100][101]
The VAR at the tournament had the spoken explanations broadcast in the stadium and on television as part of a year-long trial of the technique intended to give more transparency to often-controversial decisions. Other sports with video referees already used the measure, with FIFA also having implemented it at the2022 FIFA Club World Cup and2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[102]
On 18 August 2023, FIFA announced thatAmerican refereeTori Penso would adjudicate the final at Stadium Australia.[103]
There were two opening ceremonies, one before each kick-off game in the two host nations on 20 July 2023.[104] The first took place atEden Park,Auckland, ahead of the opening game of the competition between New Zealand and Norway.[105] The ceremonies both featured indigenous welcomes, fireworks, dancing and live music, before a moment of silence.[104] A few hours before the opening ceremony,a shooting occurred in downtown Auckland during which three people, including the assailant, were killed. A moment of silence was held for the attack victims.[106]
The Eden Park ceremony was noted to be very brief.[105] It began withMāori andindigenous Australian artists;[105] colour and culture representing the indigenous people featured in the ceremony, with ahaka being performed as well.[107] There was a dance with groups of dancers representing each nation competing at the tournament, and a montage of star players from all the participants.[105] To close the ceremony,[105] New Zealand singerBenee and Australian singerMallrat performed the tournament's official song, "Do It Again".[107]
AtStadium Australia,Sydney,Indigenous Australian artists performed.[104]
The tournament's closing ceremony took place atStadium Australia,Sydney, on 20 August 2023, ahead of the Final. The ceremony featured aWelcome to Country, and a performance from Australian singerTones and I.[108]
There was also an extended pre-game ceremony featuring aMāoripoi performance prior to thefirst semi-final atEden Park, Auckland as it was the final match to be held in New Zealand.[109]
The performance of theAustralian national women's team (nicknamed "the Matildas") greatly increased public interest in the sport. Amidst the tournament, FIFA said "football is the only subject on everyone's lips" in the nation, having an "enormous impact" on the Australian public.[110] The outpouring of support for the team was dubbed "Matildas fever" by the media.[111] Writing forThe Guardian, former professional soccer playerCraig Foster said: "We are not so much watching a national team compete, as a changing nation at play," citing the Matildas' performance for "overturn[ing] misconceptions of women's sport" and inspiring young women.[112]
Australian TV broadcast viewership records were broken multiple times, with 11.15 million watching the Matildas' match against England on theSeven Network.[113] Live viewing sites were set up in cities around the country,[114] with major stadiums being used to show the match in Sydney to cope with massive crowds.[115] The Australian government pledged $200 million to improve women's sporting facilities as a direct result of the team's success.[116]
The success of the tournament and the high viewership increased support for Australia and New Zealand to host the2034 FIFA World Cup.[117] The tournament netted NZ$109.5 million to New Zealand's economy, which was more than double the projected $46.3 million.[118]
New Zealand Football have already stated a 25% increase in girls and women playing football occurred in New Zealand as of 2023, with more expected to play in 2024, the first full season after the conclusion of the tournament.[119] The tournament has also left its effect on the New Zealand community, with 30 sports venues receiving upgrades for the tournament.[120]
Following the tournament, Football Australia CEOJames Johnson stated that the successful delivery of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup demonstrated Australia's ability to host major international sporting competitions. On 15 May 2024, the Asian Football Confederation confirmed that Australia would host the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup.[121][122]
The group stage was played from 20 July to 3 August. Competing countries were divided into eight groups of four teams (groups A to H). Teams in each group played one another in around-robin, with the top two teams advancing to theknockout stage.[123]
| Tie-breaking criteria for group play |
|---|
The ranking of teams in the group stage was determined as follows:[123]
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 5 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | Norway | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 4 | |
| 3 | New Zealand(H) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| 4 | Philippines | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | −7 | 3 |
| Norway | 6–0 | Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia(H) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 6 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | Nigeria | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 5 | |
| 3 | Canada | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 4 | |
| 4 | Republic of Ireland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | +11 | 9 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | Spain | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 6 | |
| 3 | Zambia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 3 | |
| 4 | Costa Rica | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | −7 | 0 |
| Costa Rica | 1–3 | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
Herrera 47' | Report |
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 9 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | Denmark | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 | |
| 3 | China | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 7 | −5 | 3 | |
| 4 | Haiti | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 7 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | United States | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 5 | |
| 3 | Portugal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Vietnam | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | −12 | 0 |
| Vietnam | 0–7 | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 7 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | Jamaica | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 5 | |
| 3 | Brazil | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 | |
| 4 | Panama | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 0 |
| Brazil | 4–0 | Panama |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweden | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 | 9 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | South Africa | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | Italy | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 | |
| 4 | Argentina | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colombia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 | Morocco | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 6 | |
| 3 | Germany | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 4 | |
| 4 | South Korea | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
In the knockout stage, if a match was level at the end of 90 minutes of normal playing time,extra time was played (two periods of 15 minutes each). If the score was still level after extra time, the winners were determined by apenalty shoot-out.[123]
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | |||||||||||
| 5 August –Auckland | ||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 11 August –Wellington | ||||||||||||||
| Spain | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Spain(a.e.t.) | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 6 August –Sydney (SFS) | ||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 15 August –Auckland | ||||||||||||||
| South Africa | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Spain | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 5 August –Wellington | ||||||||||||||
| Sweden | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Japan | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 11 August –Auckland | ||||||||||||||
| Norway | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Japan | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 6 August –Melbourne | ||||||||||||||
| Sweden | 2 | |||||||||||||
| Sweden(p) | 0 (5) | |||||||||||||
| 20 August –Sydney (SA) | ||||||||||||||
| United States | 0 (4) | |||||||||||||
| Spain | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 7 August –Sydney (SA) | ||||||||||||||
| England | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Australia | 2 | |||||||||||||
| 12 August –Brisbane | ||||||||||||||
| Denmark | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Australia(p) | 0 (7) | |||||||||||||
| 8 August –Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| France | 0 (6) | |||||||||||||
| France | 4 | |||||||||||||
| 16 August –Sydney (SA) | ||||||||||||||
| Morocco | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Australia | 1 | |||||||||||||
| 7 August –Brisbane | ||||||||||||||
| England | 3 | Third place play-off | ||||||||||||
| England(p) | 0 (4) | |||||||||||||
| 12 August –Sydney (SA) | 19 August –Brisbane | |||||||||||||
| Nigeria | 0 (2) | |||||||||||||
| England | 2 | Sweden | 2 | |||||||||||
| 8 August –Melbourne | ||||||||||||||
| Colombia | 1 | Australia | 0 | |||||||||||
| Colombia | 1 | |||||||||||||
| Jamaica | 0 | |||||||||||||
| Spain | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Van der Gragt 90+1' |
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The followingWorld Cup awards were given at the conclusion of the tournament: theGolden Boot (top scorer),Golden Ball (best overall player) andGolden Glove (best goalkeeper)[124]
| Golden Ball | Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
|---|---|---|
| Aitana Bonmatí | Jennifer Hermoso | Amanda Ilestedt |
| Golden Boot | Silver Boot | Bronze Boot |
| Hinata Miyazawa | Kadidiatou Diani | Alexandra Popp |
| 5 goals, 1 assist | 4 goals, 3 assists | 4 goals, 0 assists |
| Golden Glove | ||
| Mary Earps | ||
| FIFA Young Player Award | ||
| Salma Paralluelo | ||
| FIFA Fair Play Trophy | ||
| Japan | ||
Additionally, FIFA.com shortlisted 10 goals for users to vote on as the tournament's best. The award was won by Colombia'sLinda Caicedo for her goal in thegroup stage match against Germany.[125]
There were 164 goals scored in 64 matches, for an average of 2.56 goals per match.
5 goals
4 goals
3 goals
2 goals
1 goal
Sophia BraunRomina NúñezEmily van EgmondCaitlin FoordMary FowlerAlanna KennedySam KerrBia ZanerattoDebinhaAdriana LeonLeicy SantosManuela VanegasMelissa HerreraPernille HarderSanne Troelsgaard NielsenAmalie VangsgaardRachel DalyChloe KellyGeorgia StanwayElla TooneVicki BèchoKenza DaliMaëlle LakrarLéa Le GarrecWendie RenardKlara BühlLea SchüllerCristiana GirelliAllyson SwabyJun EndōAoba FujinoHonoka HayashiHikaru NaomotoRisa ShimizuIbtissam JraïdiAnissa LahmariLineth BeerensteynDaniëlle van de DonkLieke MartensKatja SnoeijsHannah WilkinsonUchenna KanuOsinachi OhaleAsisat OshoalaCaroline Graham HansenLineth CedeñoMarta CoxYomira PinzónSarina BoldenTelma EncarnaçãoKika NazarethKatie McCabeLinda MotlhaloCho So-hyunTeresa AbelleiraMariona CaldenteyLaia CodinaEsther GonzálezFilippa AngeldahlKosovare AsllaniStina BlacksteniusElin RubenssonRamona BachmannSeraina PiubelBarbra BandaRacheal KundananjiLushomo Mweemba1 own goal
Valeria del Campo (against Spain)Benedetta Orsi (against South Africa)Hanane Aït El Haj (against Germany)Zineb Redouani (against Germany)Ingrid Syrstad Engen (against Japan)Alicia Barker (against Norway)Megan Connolly (against Canada)Laia Codina (against Switzerland)Source:ESPN
A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following offences:[123]
The following suspensions were served during the tournament:
| Player | Offence(s) | Suspension |
|---|---|---|
| Deborah Abiodun |  inGroup B vsCanada (matchday 1; 21 July) | Group B vsAustralia (matchday 2; 27 July) Group B vsRepublic of Ireland (matchday 3; 31 July) Round of 16 vsEngland (7 August) |
| Catherine Musonda |   inGroup C vsJapan (matchday 1; 22 July) | Group C vsSpain (matchday 2; 26 July) |
| Khadija Shaw | inGroup F vsFrance (matchday 1; 23 July) | Group F vsPanama (matchday 2; 29 July) |
| Miriam Mayorga | inGroup G vsItaly (matchday 1; 24 July) inGroup G vsSouth Africa (matchday 2; 28 July) | Group G vsSweden (matchday 3; 2 August) |
| Kholosa Biyana | inGroup G vsSweden (matchday 1; 23 July) inGroup G vsArgentina (matchday 2; 28 July) | Group G vsItaly (matchday 3; 2 August) |
| Zhang Rui | inGroup D vsHaiti (matchday 2; 28 July) | Group D vsEngland (matchday 3; 1 August) |
| Sofia Harrison | inGroup A vsNorway (matchday 3; 30 July) | Suspension served outside tournament |
| Rose Lavelle | inGroup E vsNetherlands (matchday 2; 27 July) inGroup E vsPortugal (matchday 3; 1 August) | Round of 16 vsSweden (6 August) |
| Manuela Vanegas | inGroup H vsSouth Korea (matchday 2; 25 July) inGroup H vsMorocco (matchday 3; 3 August) | Round of 16 vsJamaica (8 August) |
| Daniëlle van de Donk | inGroup E vsPortugal (matchday 1; 23 July) inRound of 16 vsSouth Africa (6 August) | Quarter-finals vsSpain (11 August) |
| Lauren James | inRound of 16 vsNigeria (7 August) | Quarter-finals vsColombia (12 August) Semi-finals vsAustralia (16 August) |
| Oihane Hernández | inGroup C vsJapan (matchday 3; 31 July) inQuarter-finals vsNetherlands (11 August) | Semi-finals vsSweden (15 August) |
The official emblem was jointly designed byToronto-based studio Public Address andLos Angeles-based Works Creative Agency and unveiled on 28 October 2021 during a live show. The emblem featured a football encircled by 32 coloured squares, reflecting the expanded field of the tournament, and the natural terrains of the two host nations. The overall branding of the tournament featured designs reflecting the host nations' Indigenous peoples, created by AustralianKalkatungu artist Chern'ee Sutton and Māori artist Fiona Collis. Furthermore, the tournament's branding also incorporated the native names of all host cities. Alongside the emblem, the official slogan of the tournament, "Beyond Greatness", reflected FIFA's goal for the event to further expand the prominence of women's football, was also revealed.[126][127] The names of the host cities in their native names (the localAustralian Aboriginal languages andMāori in New Zealand) were used as part of the official branding.[55]
Approximately 1.4 million tickets were sold or distributed by 19 July 2023, setting a new tournament record. Sluggish sales in New Zealand resulted in 20,000 free tickets being issued by sponsor Xero.[128][129][130]
FIFA 23 featured the2023 FIFA Women's World Cup mode; the video game update was released on 27 June 2023, replicating the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup tournament and featuring the 32 qualified teams.[131][132]
The 2023 Women's World Cup was the first Women's World Cup to have its broadcasting rights sold as a standalone product rather than being packaged as a bonus of purchasing broadcasting rights for the Men's World Cup. FIFA stated that they saw "huge interest" in the separate bidding process and hoped for more regional partners to sign on. FIFA set an aim to reach a global audience of 2 billion, up from 1.12 billion at the previous edition of the tournament in France.[133]
In October 2022, FIFA rejected multiple bids from various public and private broadcasters for what it described as significantly under-priced bids, urging broadcasters to bid more, saying it is what the women's game deserves.[134] Some European broadcasters were concerned about the timezone difference affecting viewership figures, something that was not an issue with the France-hosted 2019 Women's World Cup, while Gianni Infantino threatened a media blackout for Europe's "big five" (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain) if they did not offer more.[135] The issue was resolved by the middle of June 2023, five weeks before the tournament, with all territories having deals.[136] A deal between Japanese broadcaster NHK and FIFA was announced for the last uncovered major market a week before start of the tournament.[137]
| FIFA partners | FIFA Women's Football partners | FIFA Women's World Cup sponsors | Asia and Pacific supporters | European supporters | North American supporters | South American supporters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The tournament'sofficial mascot was unveiled on 19 October 2022. The mascot's name is Tazuni, which is a portmanteau of theTasman Sea and "Unity".[167] She is alittle penguin (Eudyptula minor[167]), endemic to New Zealand — FIFA incorrectly stated this penguin (E. minor) was endemic in Australia, where a closely related species (Eudyptula novaehollandiae) was described as new and distinct in 2016.[168]
On 24 January 2023, The word "Oceaunz" was unveiled as theofficial match ball for the tournament byAdidas.[169]
Oceaunz's design was inspired by the unique natural landscapes of the two host nations, with visuals nodding to the vast mountains of New Zealand and Australia's connection with the Indian Ocean. Its name was a portmanteau based on the tournament's geographical location:Oceania, Australia, and New Zealand. Oceaunz featured the same connected ball technology as was seen in Qatar at the2022 FIFA World Cup. This provided precise ball data, which was made available to video assistant referees in real-time.[169] It was previously used at the2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
The match ball for the semi-finals, third place match, and final, theOceaunz Final Pro, was revealed on 14 August 2023. It differed from the regular Oceaunz with an orange and gold colouration, reflecting the sunsets across theSydney skyline, where the final was held.[170]
There were several official songs for the 2023 Women's World Cup. The official theme song, "Unity" by British DJ and music producerKelly Lee Owens, was released on 28 October 2021 at the same time as the official emblem and slogan unveiling.[171] An instrumental song with non-lyric vocals, it was played at half-time of every match.[172] On 29 June 2023, the official song of the tournament, "Do It Again" by New Zealand singerBenee and Australian singerMallrat, and its lyric video were released.[173][174] In July 2023, the "official walk-out track" for the matches at the tournament was revealed to be "Bring It On" by Australian singerTones and I, American rapperBIA and French-Senegalese singer-songwriterDiarra Sylla.[175]
Other songs were independently produced for the tournament. TheNike player commercials "Let It Rip", depictingMegan Rapinoe as an All-American Hero,[176][177][178] and "Like a Lioness", showcasing the England team, featured original songs. The latter (also called "Like a Lioness") was performed byMs Banks,[179] who had previously performed the theme song of theBBC's coverage of the2019 Women's World Cup.[180] Asupergroup of female artists, Hope FC, also released "Call Me a Lioness", an anthemic song inspired by the England team (better known as the Lionesses). Hope FC featured British musicians includingMelanie C,Self Esteem, Alex Greenwood ofSports Team,Olivia Dean,Ellie Rowsell ofWolf Alice, andShura (a former youth player herself).[181][182][183]
Football Australia CEOJames Johnson indicated early on in planning that displaying flags representingIndigenous Australians andIndigenous New Zealanders was important to the host nations, and were discussing with FIFA whether this would be permitted at the same time as they and others werediscussing captain's armbands.[184] A captain's armband highlighting rights for Indigenous peoples was approved by FIFA in June 2023,[185] with Australian Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander flags (Australian Aboriginal flag andTorres Strait Islander flag), and New ZealandMāori flag (Tino Rangatiratanga) approved in July 2023. The extended wait for approval, especially after the armband decision had been announced, prompted Football Australia to seek further clarification. FIFA permitted the relevant flags to be flown alongside the national flags of Australia and New Zealand at all venues, giving them the same prominent status upon recommendation from Indigenous consultants and the governments of both host nations.[186][187] Previously, the Australia team displaying the Aboriginal flag before matches had caused controversy.[188]
In a sign of respect for the traditional custodians of the land, indigenous names for the host cities were used alongside the English names in branding.[55]
On 13 July 2023, a group of 44 players, led by Denmark'sSofie Junge Pedersen and facilitated byCommon Goal andFootball for Future, announced that they would combat thecarbon footprint of the teams' flights to Australia and New Zealand by donating to "climate resilience andcarbon offsetting initiatives" organised by theWorld Wildlife Fund andDanChurchAid.[189] Having donated to offset carbon emissions every time her team required flights for five years before the 2023 Women's World Cup,[184] Junge Pedersen decided to reach out to her national and club teammates to do the same when faced with the long flights to Australia and New Zealand and the prominence of the tournament. Announcing the initiative, she hoped other players would join them in donating before and during the World Cup. She and Canada'sJessie Fleming discussed their hope to leave a positive environmental impact, acknowledging that the donations were short-term fixes for one issue, and their hope that there will be more climate-positive developments in football.[189][184]
The group of players also petitioned football governing bodies to make carbon concerns a more important factor in the bidding processes for future tournaments.[190] The initiative was considered the biggest player-led climate campaign in football, especially with the 44 players coming from a variety of nations and working together. The player donations were also matched by a third party.[191]
Also facilitated by Common Goal, theGermany team announced before their opening match that they would donate 1% of their FIFA-guaranteed earnings from the tournament to Futbalo Girls and Girl Power,grassroots football programmes for young girls and non-binary people.[192]
The day before the tournament began,UN Women announced that it had partnered with FIFA for the Women's World Cup "to celebrate the skills and achievements of the teams and players, to advance gender equality in football, and to prevent abuse and discrimination on and off the field."[193] The initiative was also to highlight gender inequality issues during the tournament, with a joint campaign for everyone to recognise gender equality as a fundamental human right and to call for an end to violence against women and girls.[193]
There were various controversies relating to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, with a main focus on players from a variety of teams going public about disputes with their respective football associations over various elements ofprofessionalism,collective bargaining and development that they felt were not being met.[194]
There were also controversies reacting to unpopular decisions made by FIFA: player welfare was a concern;[195][196] the potential sponsorship of the tournament bySaudi Arabia was criticised and eventually dropped;[197] the amount of money that the Big Five bid for broadcasting rights was criticised by FIFA, which in turn was lambasted for hypocrisy;[198] and the inconsistency of the qualification system, in particular widespread condemnation by FIFPRO against confederations other than UEFA for failure to organise separate qualification campaigns unrelated to continental championships, was criticised.[199]
After FIFA experienced criticism for specifically banningOneLove captain's armbands hours before the 2022 Men's World Cup, it spent months in discussion with the women's teams to communicate on the matter. Both rainbow and OneLove armbands were banned at the Women's World Cup, with a similar FIFA-designed armband instead made available by the organisation.[200][201]
After Spain won the Women's World Cup, former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) PresidentLuis Rubiales forcibly kissed a Spanish footballer,Jenni Hermoso, and breached the Article 13 ofFIFA Disciplinary Code. Rubiales was banned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee from engaging in any football-related activities at both national and international level for three years.[202]
The opening match of the Women's World Cup took place in Auckland, New Zealand, on 20 July; on the morning of the match,a gunman killed multiple people in the Auckland CBD.[203] The fatal attack "cast a shadow" over the tournament.[204][205][206][207]Football Australia said the shooting was not motivated by the World Cup.[208] It took place near the hotel (M Social) whereNorway, who playedNew Zealand in the opening match, were staying.[203] The FIFA Fan Festival which was scheduled to take place nearby to the shooting location was cancelled, while theItaly team, who were also staying in a nearby hotel, could not leave to attend training due to police cordons. NZ FIFA Head Office was also located and based in offices directly over the road from the shooting.[209][210] Moments of silence were observed on matchday one in respect to the victims of the shooting;[211][106] security at and aroundEden Park, the location of the opening match in Auckland, was heightened, with a statement saying this measure was taken for "reassurance".[212][213] The players also wore black armbands[211] and stadium flags were flown at half mast for both opening games.[214] After New Zealand won the opening match in a surprise victory,Ali Riley paid tribute to the victims, saying that the team had "wanted to bring something amazing" in response to the shooting.[215]
Another fatal shooting in the Auckland CBD, on the same street, occurred on 3 August; considered an unrelated and isolated incident, one person was killed and the perpetrator fled the scene after a fight broke out.[216][217]
The New Zealand team's base camp was at thePullman Auckland Hotel & Apartments. At 7:48 pm on 22 July, the players and staff had to evacuate after fires broke out in multiple locations around the hotel due to a suspectedarson attack; they were later allowed to return. Four people were treated for smoke inhalation, whileFire and Emergency New Zealand deemed the incident suspicious.[218] New Zealand Football said that the fire was not connected to the shooting two days earlier. The security around the New Zealand team was increased,[219] and a man was arrested on suspicion of burglary and arson.[220][221]
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2023 FIFA Women's World Cup finalists | |
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| Runner-up | |
| Third place | |
| Fourth place | |
| Quarter-finals | |
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| Group stage | |
Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) | |
| Tournaments | |
| Qualification | |
| Finals | |
| Squads | |
| Broadcasters | |
| Bids | |
| Officials | |
| Overall records |
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| Miscellaneous | |
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