USA and Netherlands, the reigning world champions and runners-up respectively in Group E of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, were drawn in this Saturday’s draw at the Aotea Center in Auckland.
Both teams settled in favor of the Americans with the protagonists and goals of the final of the 2019 French Championship. Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe will face each other again next year from July 20 to August 20 in the preliminary round of the competition.
The United States dominates women’s soccer and tops the FIFA rankings, with the Netherlands in eighth place, along with Sweden, England, Germany, France and Spain. .
The Americans and the Dutch will share a group with one of the World Cup debutants Vietnam and Morocco, the Philippines, Republic of Ireland and Zambia and one of the teams coming out of the last three qualifiers to play. In February. Especially Portugal, Cameroon or Thailand will be measured in competition A.
They will also share a Group F with two powerful teams, France and Brazil, who are fifth and ninth in the FIFA table. Jamaica, the only four-team team to face Panama, Paraguay, Taiwan and Papua New Guinea, and the winner of the qualifiers C.
The French and Brazilians met in the round of 16 of the 2019 Championship and Calais won (2-1) to advance to the quarter-finals, then they lost against the United States (1-2).
Sweden, a quarter-finalist at the last World Cup and second in the FIFA rankings, face South Africa, Italy and Argentina, the last South American side to qualify directly after beating Paraguay, who had to play in the playoffs, in Group G.
Group D awaits the winner of Qualifier (B), who lost their semi-final against the USA in 2019 and will have tough rivals like reigning European champions and fourth-ranked England, Denmark and China. Chile faces Senegal and Haiti.
Germany, the third-ranked team in the world, will advance to the round of 16 from Group H with Copa America finalists Morocco and Colombia. Brazil, who won last July, will join South Korea and world number six Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia and Japan in Group C.
Hosts New Zealand will be drawn in Group A with Norway, the Philippines and Switzerland, while Group B will feature Australia, Ireland, Nigeria and Canada.
The draw featured former players Cameroonian Jeremy and Americans Alexi Lalas and Carly Lloyd. Two-time World Champion and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Secretary General, Fatma Samura, New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, Australian Sports Minister, Anika Wells and World Champion American World Coach Jill Ellis.
The World Cup will be held in nine venues in Australia – Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne – and New Zealand’s Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Dunedin.
Groups of 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand
Group A:
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Philippines
- Swiss
Group B:
- Australia
- Republic of Ireland
- Nigeria
- Canada
Group C:
- Spain
- Costa Rica
- Zambia
- Japan
Group D:
- England
- Senegal/Haiti/Chile
- Denmark
- China
Group E:
- America
- Vietnam
- Netherlands
- Cameroon/Thailand/Portugal
Group F:
- France
- Jamaica
- Brazil
- Chinese Taipei/Paraguay/Papua New Guinea/Panama
Group G:
- Sweden
- South Africa
- Italy
- Argentina
Group H:
- Germany
- Morocco
- Colombia
- Republic of Korea
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