The Women’s World Cup starts next week as 32 nations compete for the biggest prize in international football.
Over the coming week we will be diving into each group and analysing every team’s chances, whilst also looking at which player from each team could have the biggest impact on the tournament. Part two looks at groups C and D…
GROUP C
Costa Rica
Participating in the Women’s World Cup for just the second time, Amelia Valverde’s side go into the tournament with high hopes, reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship in Mexico.
Raquel Rodríguez, Melissa Herrera and Priscila Chinchilla are the big names to watch out for among the team ranked 36 in the world, with midfielder Rodriguez having scored an outstanding 55 goals for the national side.
It won’t be easy in a tough group, but Costa Rica have very real aspirations of reaching the knockout stages.
Japan
Embed from Getty ImagesThe former World Cup winners of 2011 and runners-up in 2015 have struggled to live up to the hopes of their nation of late, going out in the last 16 of the last World Cup in 2019.
Still ranked 11th in the world, however, Japan will be hoping to put 2019 behind them and have a strong tournament under Futoshi Ikeda, with their main hopes resting with star striker Mina Tanaka.
Japan need to make the quarter-finals at least for this tournament to be deemed as any sort of success.
Spain
Embed from Getty ImagesCurrently ranked as the sixth best team in the world, Spain have established themselves as a dominant force in the women’s game.
But there was heavy disruption in the team last year when 15 of the players walked out on the side in protest against the head coach Jorge Vilda and his coaching team. The new-look group responded well, however, and go into the tournament with real hopes of reaching the latter stages.
Three of those who walked out – Mariona Caldentey, Ona Batlle and Aitana Bonmatí – will also return to the team for the World Cup to boost their hopes. Ballon d’or winner Alexia Putellas is also back after a long spell out with injury but may have to be eased in to the tournament.
Zambia
The African nation have their work cut out in a tough group. The world number 77 made the semi-finals of the 2022 AFCON to qualify for this year’s tournament and have constantly performed above their expectations, and will be hoping for a repeat again this time around.
Key player Barbra Banda will have to have a major tournament if they are to upset the odds, having finished as the top scorer in the 2022 Cosafa Women’s Championship – a tournament which Zambia won.
GROUP D
China
The reigning Asian champions, China should be taken seriously despite the size of the task ahead of them. The world number 14 side surprisingly beat Japan in the semi-final and then South Korea in the final to win the crown, but face a bigger test in the World Cup.
China made the final of the competition all the way back in 1999, and are led by the country’s first female head coach in Shui Qingxia – who played for China between 1986 and 2001.
Wang Shuang is the player to watch out for with the attacking quality she possesses. Qualifying for the knockout stages would be a huge achievement.
Denmark
Embed from Getty ImagesPernille Harder, playing in her first World Cup, will hope to lead her Denmark side out of the group and into the latter stages of the competition. The Bayern Munich star is one of the best players in the world and has helped the Danes to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2007.
Ranked number 13 in the world, Denmark have rarely made an impression on the global stage but with Harder, they will be confident of at least making it out of the group.
Boss Lars Søndergaard will leave after this tournament, so will be keen to ensure he goes out on a high having been with the team since 2017.
England
Embed from Getty ImagesSarina Wiegman’s Lionesses won the European Championships last year but travel to Australia and New Zealand without several key players, including Arsenal duo Beth Mead and Leah Williamson, due to injury.
But England have been fantastic since Wiegman took over, and will be confident of another excellent tournament this time round. With one of the world’s best midfielders in Keira Walsh and proven winners like Lucy Bronze, there is still plenty of cause for optimism.
Despite being on the seemingly more difficult side of the draw, they will be hoping for a run to the final having made the semi-finals of the last two tournaments.
Haiti
Haiti have done brilliantly to qualify for the World Cup, beating Chile 2-1 in the inter-confederation play-off to reach the tournament. Amid turmoil in the country and in its own football federation, Haiti will be hoping they can put the country in a positive light by doing themselves proud at the tournament.
Under Nicolas Delépine, the team will be playing in their first World Cup and hope young star Corventina can help them to cause an upset.
