The draw for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is complete.
Saturday’s World Cup draw took place at the Aotea Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, and saw the U.S. women’s national team placed in Group E. That has set up an enticing 2019 World Cup final rematch, with the Netherlands ending up in the same quartet. The two world powers will face off on July 27 in Wellington.
Vietnam will be the USWNT’s first opponent, on July 22, while they will finish up their schedule on August 1 against a yet-to-be-determined opponent. Cameroon, Thailand, and Portugal will face off in February 2023, with one team claiming the spot in the USWNT’s group. Cameroon will play Thailand on February 18, with the winner going up against Portugal four days later. Both matches will be played at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Group E’s matches will all take place in New Zealand, with the USWNT having two games at Eden Park in Auckland on either side of a match at Wellington Regional Stadium.
If the USWNT wins Group E, their path to a third straight World Cup title will involve a trip to Sydney for the Round of 16, then a return to New Zealand for the quarterfinal and semifinal. If they end up in second place, they will face a Round of 16 match in Melbourne before both a quarterfinal and semifinal in Auckland. The World Cup final will take place on August 20 in Sydney.
The tournament will open with New Zealand facing Norway in Group A at Eden Park on July 20, while Australia will play the Republic of Ireland later that day at the Sydney Football Stadium.
World Cup 2023 draw results
Group A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
Group B: Australia, Republic of Ireland, Nigeria, Canada
Group C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan
Group D: England, Group B playoff winner (one of Senegal, Haiti, or Chile), Denmark, China
Group E: United States, Vietnam, Netherlands, Group A playoff winner (one of Cameroon, Thailand, or Portugal)
Group F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Group C playoff winner (one of Chinese Taipei, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, or Panama)
Group G: Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina
Group H: Germany, Morocco, South Korea, Colombia
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