The Women’s FIFA World Cup is just hours away from kickoff. In anticipation of the 2023 games, we will highlight five things you need to know about the USA Women’s FIFA World Cup team.
Although we’ll get underway in New Zealand, this is the first time two countries will serve as the host nations. Australia is the other. Four cities and stadiums will be the site of the games in New Zealand. Furthermore, five cities and six stadiums will be used in Australia.
The opening ceremonies are planned to take place at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand prior to the first game between New Zealand vs. Norway. This is a 50,000 capacity stadium. “The ceremony will feature mind-blowing, electrifying performances showcasing the cultural diversity and heritage of New Zealand and Australia,” Goal.com states.
This year’s World Cup will feature 32 different nations. This is eight more than previous tournaments. In addition, eight nations will be making their FIFA World Cup debut.
USA
The USA Women’s FIFA World Cup team has been placed in Group E. This includes Vietnam, Portugal, and the Netherlands. In total, there are eight different groupings. USA’s group is aligned to New Zealand for the first round of play.
To date, the USA Women have won four World Cup titles. They are the defending champions, beating the Netherlands during the 2019 tournament in France. Before that the USA Women’s team also won the World Cup in 2015, 1999 (the Brandi Chastain winning penalty kick year) and 1991.
Although the USA is ranked #1, they are considered a young team. NPR explained that “Nine players on this year’s U.S. roster were part of the 2019 champion team. This includes Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Julie Ertz.” Five players remain from the 2015 team.
Excitement is surely mounting. Team USA has now been in New Zealand for a week. In anticipation of their defending title run, here are five additional things you need to know about the USA Women’s FIFA World Cup team.
Equal Pay Bill
The United States women’s soccer team has had a long battle to be paid as much as the men’s team. “The Equal Pay for Team USA Act, passed late Wednesday, will require all athletes representing the United States in global competition to receive equal pay and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender,” ESPN reported back in December.
USA pose for a photo during the New Zealand Football Ferns official FIFA Women’s World Cup. Photo by: Phil Walter/Getty Images
