Women’s World Cup proves gap between the best and the rest has narrowed

By almost every measure, the 2023 Women’s World Cup is the biggest in the tournament’s history. The attendance record was broken with over 10 matches of the tournament still to play. New broadcast records are also being set around the world. All of this amidst the backdrop that this Women’s World Cup is the first to feature 32 teams. 

Some feared expansion would dilute the overall quality of the competition. Critics pointed at the USA’s 13-0 win over Thailand at the 2019 Women’s World Cup as an example of something that could happen more frequently with the entry standard to the tournament dropped. The reality, however, has been very different.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup has highlighted the narrowing gap between the best and the rest. There has been no room for complacency among the established elite with a number of superpowers – Brazil, Canada and Germany – dumped out at the group stage. In their place, the likes of Colombia, Jamaica, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa have risen.

Across women’s international soccer, the rising tide is now undeniable. Some heavy defeats have been handed out, but there has been no definable gulf at the top of the tournament. Germany and Brazil, juggernauts of the game, both started their World Cup campaigns with big wins only to crash out before the knockout rounds.

Even teams that dropped out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup early were able to make their mark. Haiti, for instance, gave Euro 2022 winners England a scare in their opening fixture with Melchie Dumornay strengthening her reputation as one of the best young players in the world through a series of impressive performances. 

The Philippines, playing at their first-ever Women’s World Cup, pulled off one of the upsets of the tournament by beating co-hosts New Zealand. The Republic of Ireland, also playing at their first-ever Women’s World Cup, were competitive in every match they played, despite landing in a group with co-hosts Australia and Olympic champions Canada. 

Portugal pushed the US Women’s National Team all the way while South Korea took an extremely consequential point off Germany in their final group game – a result that saw the Euro 2022 finalists crash out of the competition. Numerous top teams have had their nose bloodied at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. With Colombia up against England in the quarter-finals there’s potential for one last shock.

There’s a good chance a champion will be crowned for the first time in Australia and New Zealand this summer. Japan are the only previous winners left in the tournament, having won the Women’s World Cup in 2011. A first-time trophy winner would be reflective of how the landscape has shifted at the top of the women’s game in recent times.

The USWNT have been a victim of this changing landscape. While the US has been the dominant force in women’s international football, for a long time there’s a sense the rest of the world has now caught up. Vlatko Andonovski still boasted one of the most talented squads at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, but talent is no longer enough.

In Sarina Wiegman, England boast one of the sharpest tactical minds in the dugout. Spain’s squad have spent the last 12 months in open revolt against Jorge Vilda, but the country plays with a style that has been well-established on the men’s and women’s side over the last two-and-a-half decades. Meanwhile, Japan have shown the tactical flexibility to adjust and counter their opponents’ strengths and gameplans.

Andonovski is expected to depart his post as USWNT head coach before the end of the year with potential replacements already being linked with the job. The next USWNT manager must do a better job of imposing a tactical identity. That’s what is now expected at the top of women’s soccer. The 2023 Women’s World Cup has made that clear.

The round of 16 saw many of the remaining underdogs fall away with South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria and Jamaica all exiting the tournament. Nonetheless, the impact they made on the 2023 Women’s World Cup cannot be denied. Far from diluting the quality of the tournament, expansion has underlined just how quickly it is developing. The USWNT might be better in 2027, but so might the rest of the competition.