The FIFA Women’s World Cup is experiencing some challenges leading up to the kickoff, but the focus is now on football. According to Canada coach Bev Priestman, the expanded tournament in Australia and New Zealand will provide much entertainment and drama. She believes that the women’s game has become more exciting than ever before and is looking forward to being part of the historic World Cup with 32 teams across two nations. This edition of the tournament is the largest ever and the first to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. There has already been record attendance, with close to 1.4 million tickets sold, surpassing the previous record set in Canada in 2015. Tickets have been purchased in 182 different countries, with Canada ranking in the top 10 in terms of sales.
The tournament has seen significant growth, starting with only 12 teams in 1991 and now featuring 32 teams, including first-time participants like Portugal, Ireland, Vietnam, Philippines, Panama, Haiti, Morocco, and Zambia. However, history suggests that newcomers face a tough challenge, as most debutant teams fail to win a match. Only three teams have advanced past the group stage in their first tournament since the turn of the century.
Women’s football has faced numerous obstacles, such as fighting for equal pay and appropriate footwear. While FIFA has increased the prize money for the Women’s World Cup, it still pales in comparison to what the men’s tournament receives. Canadian captain Christine Sinclair acknowledges that it’s a step in the right direction but believes more needs to be done to address the growth of the women’s game.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino aims to achieve equal prize money at the 2026 men’s and 2027 women’s World Cups. At this Women’s World Cup, each participating player is guaranteed a minimum amount of $30,000, with the winning team receiving up to $270,000. However, there is currently no mechanism in place to ensure that the money goes directly to the players.
Apart from the financial aspect, female players from various teams, including England, France, Nigeria, and Spain, have fought for gender equity and equal treatment. The tournament features established stars like Canada’s Sinclair, Australia’s Kerr, Denmark’s Harder, England’s Bronze, Germany’s Oberdorf, Spain’s Putellas, and the US’s Morgan, as well as emerging talents like Rodman and Smith.
On the downside, there has been an increase in anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the women’s game, resulting in some notable players missing out on the tournament. Despite this, many believe that the growth in women’s football will make this edition of the World Cup the most open and unpredictable. In the past, the US and Germany have been dominant, but now any top-10 team can win against each other. With the expansion to 32 teams and several other factors, the tournament is wide open, and it’s difficult to predict who will come out on top.