The most competitive World Cup in the history of women's soccer is just hours away, and as the anticipation continues to build, we attempt to predict the 16 teams out of the group stage.
Groups A and B 2023 Women's World Cup predictions
Group A: Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, Philippines
Even with the Norwegian's struggles in the Women's Euros last summer, Hege Riise's side should roll this group. With players like Guro Reiten, Caroline Graham Hansen, Frida Maanum, and Maren Mjelde, Norway not only has all the tools to find the back of the net frequently, but keep opponents out of it. Other than the Grasshoppers, none of the countries in Group A have ever made it past the Round of 16. Both New Zealand and the Philippines are still seeking their first Women's World Cup victory.
Switzerland has a new manager, but are yet to be on the winning end of a single match this calendar year. Even with that fact, the Swiss simply have the individual talent to oust both the Football Ferns and the Filipinas out of the tournament. Ali Riley's late second-half goal in a friendly in 2022 gave New Zealand a win over the Philippines. The meeting of those two countries will be entertaining, but ultimately, it is not enough to amass enough points to surpass Norway, or Switzerland.
Nations to advance: Norway, Switzerland
Group B: Australia, Canada, Republic of Ireland, Nigeria
Without question, this is the "group of death" in this tournament. Nigeria, and the Republic of Ireland, while they may not advance, will make life as difficult as possible for the two frontrunners. The Irish are debutants, but in reality they have a team that battled the No. 1 ranked team in the world back in April incredibly well. Equipped with ultra-talented players in the frontline including Barcelona's Asisat Oshoala, Nigeria is not a side any of these teams want to underestimate despite them being the lowest ranked side of the four.
Two teams in the top-ten of the FIFA World Rankings make up half of Group B. Australia, otherwise known as The Matildas will have the entire nation behind them at almost every match. Tony Gustavsson's side most recently defeated France, England, and Spain. The hosts, with the assistance of Sam Kerr's goal-scoring prowess should top the group despite the talent that it possesses.
Canada, led by veteran Christine Sinclair in the frontline, and Jessie Fleming in the middle of the pitch are the defending Olympic Gold Medalists. The neighbors to the north of the United States are still in a fight with their federations regarding equitable opportunity following the qualification of the men's team to the Qatar World Cup. The Canadians will have the motivation of what looks like Sinclair's final World Cup, and the desire the improve an 11th place finish in 2019. It will not be as cut and dry as it may be for nations like Sweden, but at the end of this group, the two favorites will find a way to earn a place among the top-two.
Nations to advance: Australia, Canada
Groups C and D 2023 Women's World Cup predictions
Group C: Costa Rica, Japan, Spain, Zambia
With Spain still under a whole lot of turmoil off the pitch, cruising past the opposition in Group C may not be as straightforward as it could be. The controversial Jorge Vilda is still at the helm for his second World Cup as the manager of the Spanish national team. La Roja has won just one game all-time at the Women's World Cup, and are coming off a quarterfinal elimination last summer in England. Even with the obvious absences, Alexia Putellas is back in the midfield accompanied by Salma Paralluelo among others in the attacking third of the pitch. The European side recently competed against Japan back in November where Alba Redondo scored the winner in the first eight minutes.
The Japanese have competed against the Spanish four times in the past with the European outfit winning three of those contests. The Asian side is by far the most decorated team in this group, having won the World Cup back in 2011.
Zambia, and Costa Rica are two wild cards that have combined for one total World Cup appearance. The Copper Queens have challenged themselves against three talented European sides ahead of the tournament down under. They drew Switzerland, and shocked the Germans on their home soil in early July. Las Ticas and Zambia are sides that can challenge the frontrunners in Group C, but on the world stage, the soccer powerhouses should pull through in this case.
Nations to advance: Spain, Japan
Group D: Denmark, China, England, Haiti
Group D arguably has some of the best all-around individual talents of any group in this World Cup. Even the teams that are not the favorites to come out of this group of four have world-class talents.
Youngster Melchie Dumornay is the sparkplug for Haiti while Wang Shuang and Wang Shanshan run the show for the Chinese. Those two nations don't have the recent success of the English, but exciting players like that make those contests ones fans do not want to miss.
Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses are strong favorites to win this group with Pernille Harder's Denmark a tough challenger right behind them. Haiti is just content to be there given its remarkable story to the World Cup. While the Steel Roses have history in this competition, their opponents in Asia on a regular basis do not match up with the likes of the two European outfits within this group.
Nations to advance: England, Denmark
Groups E and F 2023 Women's World Cup predictions
Group E: United States, Netherlands, Portugal, Vietnam
Group E is the only set of four in this competition with more than one debutant. Everyone is gunning for the United States as Megan Rapinoe and the rest of the crew aim to secure a record third straight world title. The last time the Americans played an Asian Football Confederation side to open up a World Cup, the stars and stripes exploded for 13 goals. Vietnam's journey to the World Cup is one the country should be proud of, but being in the same group against the world No. 1 right off the bat is just unlucky.
Even with a concerning display in San Jose against Wales, the USWNT has far and away the most talent within this group. The rematch of the 2019 final between Netherlands, and the United States should be a thriller, but Vivianne Miedema's absence could very well be the difference between those two sides.
Portugal is a nation nobody should underestimate given some of its recent friendly results, but it is difficult seeing the A Selecção das Quinas having much of an effect on two powerhouses in their first World Cup. Due to the impossibility of predicting what the two newcomers are going to bring to this competition, it makes all the sense in the world to see two top-10 sides progressing to the Round of 16.
Nations to advance: United States, Netherlands
Group F: Brazil, France, Panama, Jamaica
Two countries with a population of less than 4.5 million make up half of Group F. Jamacia, led by one of the most feared strikers in the world, Khadija Shaw, have been there before in France four years ago. The other nation in Central America has never experienced what a competition like this is like. Through a second-half goal by Lineth Cedeño in an inter-confederation playoff against Paraguay, the Canal Girls punched their ticket to their first-ever World Cup.
Ignacio Quintana's Panama takes on Brazil to begin the tournament, a nation that has finished in the top three of a World Cup twice in its history. Seeing two countries in the top eight of the FIFA rankings in your first World Cup is not the most ideal sight.
France, a side led by a new manager, are surrounded by far more positive energy than in late 2022. With veteran Wendie Renard wearing the armband and numerous world-class talents in the front line, the French have to be considered a team that can make a deep run. Pia Sundhage heads the Brazilians with the goal of getting back to where this team was in 2007.
Jamaica and the pure quality of Shaw should test both contenders, but ultimately the France and Brazil matchup on July 29 is going to decide who finishes first and second in Group F.
Nations to advance: Brazil, France
Groups G and H 2023 Women's World Cup predictions
Group G: Argentina, Italy, South Africa, Sweden
The Swedish have finished in the top three at three out of the last five Women's World Cups. Getting into the knockout round in 2023 should be a smooth journey considering the pedigree among their other three Group G competitors. Italy may have bowed out of the Women's Euros last summer in the group stage, but within the span of a year, the women's top flight within that country has grown immensely. Every player but one on the Italian World Cup side currently plays in the Serie A Femminile.
Argentina, the third-place finishers in the 2022 Copa América Femenina are in the same boat as South Africa in this group having not won a single World Cup group stage match before. With the return of a player like Estefanía Banini, Germán Portanova's Argentina now possess the personnel to put an end to that fact.
The 2022 Africa Women's Cup of Nations winners led by forward Thembi Kgatlana of Racing Louisville have been here before. Desiree Ellis' South African side may be far better than they were in 2019, but the competition they face in order to reach this stage is not up to par with the three others in Group G. To be frank, this is Sweden's group. No question about it. Top to bottom, Peter Gerhardsson has the best array of talent within this group. The only question that remains is if Argentina has enough to surpass an emerging Italian side?
Nations to advance: Sweden, Italy
Group H: Germany, Colombia, South Korea, Morocco
Similar to Sweden, the runners-up last summer in England should cruise through group play. Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's Germany had their wake-up call against Zambia before the tournament and should be ready to tackle Group H. Not once has this country not made it out of the group stage in a Women's World Cup, and in no way is that streak going to stop this time around.
Both the Colombian national team and the South Koreans have once made it out of this part of the competition. July 25 in the Australian capital is going to be a battle. 18-year-old Linda Caicedo has risen into the future of this Colombian national team in a blink of an eye this past year. She has a chance to take this group by storm. With Colin Bell on the sideline and Ji So-yun in the middle of the pitch for South Korea, Colombia is going to have to work to make it out of the group stage for the first time since 2015.
The final nation in Group H, the Moroccans made it into this 32-team pool by reaching the semifinals of the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations on their home soil. For the Moroccan women's national football team, this will be a learning experience as it is the country's first time at a women's football world tournament.
Nations to advance: Germany, Colombia