When the Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, it’ll be the first time the women’s cup is hosted in two countries — with a newly expanded field of 32 teams.
Here’s what to know as the world’s best pursue the biggest title in women’s soccer.
The U.S. is again ranked number one in the world, but it’s a team in flux
The U.S. will be looking to snag their third straight World Cup title — and its fifth overall.
The U.S. women’s national team (USWNT) has held the number one spot in FIFA’s rankings for years, and is the odd-on favorite to win once again. But this year’s tournament is considered fairly wide open, with several teams having a decent shot at the title.
Indeed, the U.S. has had an interesting pattern of late: winning the World Cup, but losing at the Olympics. The USWNT won the World Cup in 2015, then failed to medal at the 2016 Olympics. They won the 2019 World Cup, then took home the bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. READ MORE
