The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is set to take place in the coming weeks, between 20 July 2023 and 20 August 2023.
For the first time, the competition will be hosted by two different nations, Australia and New Zealand.
The ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup could produce the same winner for the third consecutive time if the United States can go all the way to secure success once again, but there will be a few teams standing in their way.
Amongst the serious contenders to lift the trophy are England, France and Germany, but the USWNT are considered by many, including the bookmakers, as the favourites.
Prior to the 2023 competition, there were eight previous editions, starting with the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991.
In total, there have been six different host countries (China 1991, 2007, Sweden 1995, USA 1999, 2003, Germany 2011, Canada 2015, France 2019), with four different winners (USA 1991, 1999, 2015, 2019, Norway 1995, Germany 2003, 2007, Japan 2011).
Here is all the information on the last five winners of the Women’s World Cup.
2003 – Germany
The Germans were victorious in the event, which was hosted across six different venues in the US. A total of 16 nations competed for the trophy, divided into four groups.
Germany advanced from their group with three wins, over Canada, Japan and Argentina.
A 7-1 thumping of Russia in the quarter-final was followed by a 3-0 semi-final success over reigning champions USA, leading to a final encounter with Sweden.
The final was held on October 12 in Carson, California with a 2-1 victory for Germany. In what was a sign of the times, the extra-time winner from Nia Kunzer was a golden goal in the 98th minute.
2007 – Germany
The 2007 event brought further glory for Germany, four years after their first success in the tournament.
This time, China were the host after they were originally due to put on a show in 2003, but an outbreak of the SARS virus meant a switch to the USA.
Five locations (Chengdu, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Tianjin and Wuhan) provided the backdrop for the football, with 16 teams from across six confederations battling it out to win the World Cup.
Germany topped their group once again before they saw off North Korea, then Norway in the knock-out stage.
Brazil were beaten in the final with a 2-0 scoreline in Shanghai, securing back-to-back World Cup glory for Germany.
2011 – Japan
Following on from co-hosting the Men’s tournament in 2002, alongside South Korea, Japan enjoyed a different and greater prominence in the Women’s World Cup of 2011, when they lifted the trophy.
On this occasion, there would be no further success for Germany, despite hosting the event across nine locations, including Frankfurt, which hosted the final.
Japan eliminated Germany in the quarter-final, before beating Sweden at the last four stage. Their success was confirmed with a 3-1 penalty shootout success over the USA, after a 2-2 draw after extra time.
2015 – USA
This would be the start of a golden period in the game for the United States, which continues to this day.
The Americans won the 2015 tournament, held in Canada, which was their third success overall.
In the vast expanse of Canada, the World Cup was played across six venues from east to west – Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver – but this time it was contested by 24 nations.
The US topped Group D, before toppling Colombia in the Last 16. In the quarter-final, they beat China before a semi-final victory over Germany.
They won the World Cup with a convincing 5-2 success over Japan in Vancouver on 5 July.
2019 – USA
The US secured a second consecutive World Cup win in 2019 to set up the possibility of a hat-trick. As stated above, if they go all the way this time around, they would be the first nation to record that feat.
France were the hosts but they were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by the eventual winners.
Once again, 32 teams competed in the tournament, played across nine host cities, with the final taking place in Lyon.
The USA recorded maximum points in the group stage before a 2-1 win over Spain as the knockout stage commenced. France were defeated by the same scoreline in the quarter-final and then it was England’s turn for a 2-1 loss at the last four stage.
The worthy victory for the USWNT was secured in the decider with a 2-0 success over the Netherlands.
They will be all out for three in a row when the 2023 Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.
