European FIFA Women’s World Cup hopefuls: Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland | Women’s World Cup

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 takes place from July 20 to August 20 in Australia and New Zealand with 11 European teams already guaranteed their places.

Qualifying group winners Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden were joined by play-off winners Republic of Ireland and Switzerland. Play-off winners with the third-best record, Portugal, hope to be UEFA’s 12th country in the finals going through February’s inter-confederation play-off in New Zealand.

The draw for the final will take place on Saturday 22 October in Auckland.

Qualified so far

Hosts: 2 (Australia, New Zealand)
AFC: 5 (China, Japan, Philippines*, South Korea, Vietnam*)
CAF: 4 (Morocco*, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia*)
CONCACAF: 4 (Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, USA)
CONMEBOL: 3 (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia)
UEFA: 11 (Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland)
Interconfederation play-offs: 3

*beginning

Interconfederate play-offs

A ten-team tournament will be held from February 17 to 23 in New Zealand to decide between the last three finalists. The draw will take place on Friday at 12:00 CET.

Continental distribution
AFC: 2 (Chinese Taipei, Thailand)
CAF: 2 (Cameroon, Senegal)
CONCACAF: 2 (Haiti, Panama)
CONMEBOL: 2 (Chile, Paraguay)
OFC: 1 (Papua New Guinea)
UEFA: 1 (Portugal)

European contenders for the FIFA Women’s World Cup

Denmark

Previous appearances at the World Cup: 4
Best result: Quarter-finals (1991, 1995)
Qualifying group record: W8 D0 L0 F40 A12 (Group E winners)
Best striker: Sign Bruun 13
Women’s EURO 2022: Group stage

• Finished 13 points ahead of runners-up in their section, a record for any UEFA women’s qualifying group.

England

Previous Finals appearances: 4
Best result: Third place (2015)
Qualifying group record: W10 D0 L0 F80 A0 (group D winners)
Best striker: Beth Mead 13
Women’s EURO 2022: Winners

• Most goals scored in all UEFA women’s qualifying groups, as well as winning their first major tournament in July with EURO on home soil. Having reached the last two World Cup semi-finals and progressing beyond the group stage each time he qualified.

France

Previous Finals appearances: 4
Best result: Fourth place (2011)
Qualifying group record: W10 D0 L0 F54 A4 (Group I winners)
Best striker: Marie Antoinette Katoto 10
Women’s EURO 2022: Semi-finals

• At the Women’s EURO, they reached their first semi-final since the 2012 Olympics and the 2011 World Cup.

Germany

Previous Finals appearances: 8 (max)
Best result: Winners (2003, 2007)
Qualifying group record: W9 D0 L1 F47 A5 (Group H winners)
Best striker: Leah Schuller 15
Women’s EURO 2022: Finalists

• Only the USA (50) have appeared in more World Cup finals than Germany (44).

Italy

Previous Finals appearances: 3
Best result: Quarter-finals (1991, 2009)
Qualifying group record: W9 D0 L1 F40 A2 (group G winners)
Best striker: Cristiana Girelli 8
Women’s EURO 2022: Group stage

• Reached back-to-back World Cups for the first time.

Netherlands

Previous Finals appearances: 2
Best result: Finalists (2019)
Qualifying group record: W6 D2 L0 F31 A3 (group C winners)
Best striker: Vivianne Miedema 8
Women’s EURO 2022: Semi-finals

• Secured a place in the final with an added-time goal from Esmee Brugts to snatch a 1-0 victory over Iceland in their deciding group as it looked like the 2017 European champions were heading towards play-offs (from which they qualified in 2015 and 2019).

Norway

Previous Finals appearances: 8 (always present)
Best result: Winners (1995)
Qualifying group record: W9 D1 L0 F47 A2 (group F winners)
Best striker: Lisa-Marie Utland 6
Women’s EURO 2022: Group stage

• Was the first European team to win the trophy in 1995.

Republic of Ireland

Previous appearances: Beginning
Qualifying group record: W5 D2 L1 F26 A4 (Second Group A)
Dam Tower 2: W1-0 (a) against Scotland
Best striker: Katie McCabe 7
Women’s EURO 2022: Non qualified

• Ireland’s first major tournament, although coach Vera Pauw led his native Netherlands to the EURO 2009 semi-finals and South Africa to the 2016 Olympics.

Spain

Previous Finals appearances: 2
Best result: Round of 16 (2019)
Qualifying group record: W8 D0 L0 F53 A0 (group B winners)
Best striker: 11
Women’s EURO 2022: Quarter-finals

• Won the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2018.

Sweden

Previous Finals appearances: 8 (always present)
Best result: Finalists (2003)
Qualifying group record: W7 D1 L0 F32 A2 (group A winners)
Top scorers: Lina Hurtig, Fridolina Rolfö 5
Women’s EURO 2022: Semi-finals

• Won bronze at the 2019 World Cup and silver at the 2021 Olympics.

Swiss

Previous appearances: 1
Best result: Group stage (2015)
Qualifying group record: W8 D1 L1 F44 A4 (Second Group I)
Dam Tower 2: W?2-1aet vs Wales
Top scorers: Anna-Maria Crnogorčević, Coumba Sow 8
Women’s EURO 2022: Group stage

• Their first World Cup in 2015 included a 10-1 win over Ecuador thanks to a hat-trick from Ramona Bachmann.

Candidate for the intercontinental dams

Portugal

Previous appearances: Beginning
Qualifying group record: W7 D1 L2 F26 A9 (Second Group H)
Dam tower 1: W2-1 (d) v Belgium
Dam Tower 2: W4-1aet (h) vs Iceland
Top scorers: Diana Silva 5
Women’s EURO 2022: Group stage

• Never reached a major before EURO 2017 but are now hoping to reach their third.

Last World Cup Finals (European teams in bold)

2019: USA 2-0 Netherlands; Lyon, France
2015: USA 5-2 Japan; Vancouver, Canada
2011: Japan 2-2 USA (aet, 3-1 pens); Frankfurt, Germany
2007: Germany 2-0 Brazil; Shanghai, China
2003: Germany 1-0 Sweden (aet, golden goal); Carson, United States
1999: USA 0-0 China (ap, 5-4 pens); Pasadena, United States
1995: Norway 2-0 Germany; Stockholm, Sweden
1991: USA 2-1 Norway; Guangzhou, China

Former Olympic medalists (European teams in bold)

2021: Canada (gold), Sweden (silver), USA (bronze); Yokohama, Japan (postponed from 2020, final moved from Tokyo)
2016: Germany (gold), Sweden (silver), Canada (bronze); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2012: United States (gold), Japan (silver), Canada (bronze); London, United Kingdom
2008: United States (gold), Brazil (silver), Germany (bronze); Beijing, China
2004: United States (gold), Brazil (silver), Germany (bronze); Athens, Greece
2000: Norway (gold), United States (silver), Germany (bronze); Sydney, Australia
1996: United States (gold), China (silver), Norway (bronze); Atlanta, United States