The Soccer Women’s World Cup is an international association football competition. It was held between senior women’s national teams. From the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport’s international governing body. In 1991, when the inaugural event was then known as the FIFA Women’s World Championship. It was held in China. The competition is conducted every four years and one year after the Soccer Women’s World Cup.

Under the tournament’s current structure, national teams compete for 31 berths in a three-year qualification round. The host country’s squad is automatically placed in the 32nd position. The event is proper, often known as the World Cup Finals. It lasts for around one month and is held in venues within the host nation(s).

Four national teams have won the eighth Soccer Women’s World Cup competition. The United States has won four times and is the current champion after winning the event in France in 2019. Germany, with two wins, and Japan and Norway, with one apiece, are the other winners.

The Soccer Women’s World Cup has been held in six different nations. The event has been staged twice in China and once in the United States. As well as once in Canada, France, Germany, and Sweden.

Qualification of Soccer Women’s World Cup

Qualifying tournaments are held within FIFA’s six continental zones. These zones are Africa, Asia, North and Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Oceania, and Europe. Their respective confederations organized it: the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Along with the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF).

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South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and Union (UEFA). FIFA determines the number of places granted to each continental zone ahead of time for each tournament. They were further dependent on the relative strength of the confederations’ teams. The Soccer Women’s World Cup hosts are given an automatic spot in the finals. The number of finalists has climbed from 16 to 24 to 32 after the 2015 Soccer Women’s World Cup.

Final Tournament

The final event had 12 to 24 national teams participating in the host country (s) over one month. The tournament is divided into two stages: the group and the knockout stages.

During the group stage, teams are divided into groups of four. Each group competes in a round-robin competition. Further, each team is slated to play three games against other teams in the same group. To ensure fairness among all four teams. The last round of matches in each group is scheduled simultaneously. The two teams placed first and second in each group, and the four best teams ranked third. Further qualified for the round of 16. It is commonly known as the knockout stage in the 2015 24-team version.

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The teams within a group are ranked using points. Since 1994, a win has been worth three points. A draw is for one, and a defeat is worth none (before, winners received two points).

Each Team’s Ranking in Each Group

Scored the most points in group matches.

In group matches, the team with the most goal difference won.

The most goals were scored in group matches.

If more than one team remains level after applying the criteria mentioned above. Their ranking will be as follows:

The most points in head-to-head matchups among those teams.

The team with the most goal differential in head-to-head matchups.

Those teams with the most goals scored in head-to-head matchups.

Suppose any of the above teams remain level after applying the abovementioned criteria. A random drawing of lots will determine their ranking. The knockout stage is a single-elimination competition. It is in which teams play one-off matches against each other. If required, the further extra time and penalty shootouts were used to determine the victors. It all starts with the round of 16. The quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place match (contested by the losing semi-finalists), and final follow.

History

The inaugural Soccer Women’s World Cup was held in 1970. With the first international competition was held in Italy in July 1970. Next to that, Denmark won an unofficial tournament the following year in Mexico. It was done by beating Mexico in the final. The Mundialito was contested in Italy for four seasons in the mid-1980s. Further both Italy and England won two titles.

Several nations abolished their bans on women’s football in the 1970s. It further resulted in the formation of new teams across Europe and North America. After the first international women’s tournaments were conducted in Asia in 1975 and Europe in 1984. Ellen Wille urged that the FIFA Congress should make a greater effort to promote the women’s game. This came in the shape of an invited competition in China in 1988. It was done to see whether a worldwide Soccer Women’s World Cup was viable.

The competition included four UEFA teams, three AFC teams, and two CONCACAF clubs. And one each from CONMEBOL, CAF, and OFC. After the inaugural match between China and Canada, the event has judged a success. It was attended by 45,000 people, with attendance averaging 20,000. Norway, the European champion, defeated Sweden in the final, 1–0. At the same time, Brazil finished third by defeating the hosts in a penalty shootout. The competition was judged a success.

Further Information on Soccer Women’s World Cup

And FIFA approved the formation of an official Soccer Women’s World Cup on June 30, 1991, again in China. Twelve teams participated once more. The US beat Norway in the final, 2–1, with Michelle Akers scoring two goals.

The 1995 tournament in Sweden experimented with a time-out idea. It was eventually adjusted mid-tournament to only occur after a play pause. The time-out was only used in one event before being removed. Norway defeated Germany in the final of the 1995 edition, 2–0. After scoring 17 goals in the group stage. One of the most memorable highlights of the 1999 edition. It was American defender Brandi Chastain‘s victory celebration. After scoring the Cup-winning penalty kick against China. As she rejoiced, she removed her jersey and waved it over her head (as guys typically do). The 1999 Rose Bowl final in Pasadena, California, drew 90,185 spectators. A world record for a women’s athletic event.

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The Women’s World Cups in 1999 and 2003 were both hosted in the United States; in 2003, China intended to host it, but the event was shifted due to SARS. As a result, China preserved its automatic qualification to the 2003 tournament as a host nation and was picked to host the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Germany was chosen to host the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup by popular voting in October 2007. FIFA awarded Canada the right to host the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in March 2011. The field was expanded from 16 to 24 teams for the 2015 edition.

Trophy

Both Formiga of Brazil and Homare Sawa of Japan appeared in their record sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a feat never before accomplished by either female or male players. Christie Pearce, 40, is the oldest player to ever play in a Women’s World Cup match. FIFA gave France the right to host the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup over South Korea in March 2015.

The current trophy, which was developed in 1998 for the 1999 tournament, is in the shape of a spiral band containing a football at the top and seeks to reflect the athleticism, energy, and elegance of international women’s football. It was outfitted with a cone-shaped base in the 2010s. Each of the tournament’s past winners’ names is inscribed beneath the base. The trophy is 47 cm (19 in) tall, weighs 4.6 kg (10 lb) and is crafted of sterling silver covered in 23-karat yellow and white gold. It is believed to be worth around $30,000 in 2015. The men’s World Cup trophy, on the other hand, is made of 18-karat gold and is worth $150,000 in precious metal.

However, a new Winner’s Trophy is created for each women’s champion to take home, but FIFA retains just one original men’s trophy, with each men’s champion receiving a replica trophy. Since 2007, the victors have also been granted the FIFA Champions Badge, which is worn on the winning team’s jersey until the following tournament’s winner is determined.

Hosts of Soccer Women’s World Cup

The 2003 Women’s World Cup was initially scheduled to be held in China. But was given to the United States in May 2003 due to a large SARS outbreak. Apart from the men’s FIFA World Cup, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup established a new attendance record for all FIFA competitions.

Conclusion

Thirty-six countries have competed in at least one Soccer Women’s World Cup. Four of the countries have won the World Cup. The United States is the most successful Women’s World Cup team. Further having won four titles and being one of just seven countries to have competed in every World Cup. They also have the most top-four finishes, medals, and final appearances. Along with the greatest sequence of three consecutive finals in 2011, 2015, and 2019.