Everything to Know About the 2023 Women's World Cup, Where the US Is the Reigning Champ

It's been four years since the best of the best in women's soccer gathered in France for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the USWNT took home their record-breaking fourth World Cup win. Now, the ninth installment of the tournament, which is hosted in New Zealand and Australia this year, is already underway. Here's what to know about the 2023 Women's World Cup, including the schedule, ticket availability, location, number of teams, pay, and how to watch.

Tournament games are scheduled to occur between July 20 and Aug. 20, 2023, per FIFA. The final game will take place on Aug. 20, the last day of the tournament.

On Thursday, June 25, 2020, FIFA announced Australia and New Zealand as the host nations for the 2023 Women's World Cup.

They were selected out of the nine countries that submitted bids: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and South Korea. This was the largest expression of interest in hosting the Women's World Cup in the tournament's history. Australia and New Zealand's joint bid received 22 of the 35 valid votes cast by the FIFA Council members in the first ballot, with the Colombian Football Association obtaining 13 votes.

Games will be hosted at 10 different stadiums across the two countries, including in Brisbane (Meaanjin), Adelaide (Tarntanya), Melbourne (Naarm), Perth (Boorloo), and Sydney (Gadigal) in Australia, and Dunedin (Ōtepoti), Auckland (Tāmaki Makaurau), Hamilton (Kirikiriroa), and Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara), in New Zealand.

The format of the Women's World Cup has been changed for the 2023 tournament. FIFA announced on July 21, 2019, that 32 nations will qualify (including the host country), which is eight more than in previous tournaments. There were only 12 teams at the first women's tournament in 1991, and it expanded to include 16 countries in the US in 1999 and 24 in Canada in 2015.

The countries whose teams qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea Republic (South Korea), Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Vietnam, and Zambia.

Wondering who's on the US Women's National Team? Check out the 2023 USWNT World Cup roster.

For the first time, the council vote deciding the host country was made public, according to AP News. Previously, the decisions were made by an "executive committee," which was riddled with scandal and accusations. FIFA followed a similarly transparent process when it awarded the 2026 men's tournament to the joint bid from the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Another new addition in 2023? A ban on artificial turf. Athletes have long complained about the physical toll playing on artificial turf can take. While the men's games have been played on natural grass for some time, female players have had to advocate for the same treatment. In March 2019, FIFA announced it would permit only natural grass fields for 2023, and all countries submitting bids have to abide by this requirement.

Many teams who've historically worn an all-white kit are forgoing white shorts due to period concerns, starting this year. For example, both the England and New Zealand national teams have ditched white shorts in an effort to help players feel more comfortable and confident when playing during their periods.

On June 30, FIFA announced eight sanctioned armbands for the Women's World Cup, and it notably did not include a designated Pride band. This comes after a lot of controversy around players supporting LGBTQ+ rights during the men's 2022 tournament in Qatar, where homosexuality is criminalized.

If you still don't have your tickets but want to attend the World Cup, you still have a chance! Single Match Passes are available through the Last-Minute Sales Phase, which started April 11. You can see what's available and purchase your tickets directly from the FIFA website until all tickets are sold out.

The tournament will kick off with a group stage. The 32 teams are divided into eight pools of four teams each, and every team in each pool will play every other team in their pool. The top two teams from each pool will then advance to the round of 16, then the quarterfinals and semifinals, all of which play "knockout" style. The winners of the two semifinal games will play each other for first and second place, and the losers of the semifinal matches will play to determine who gets third place.

The first match scheduled for the tournament was between New Zealand and Norway (both in Group A) on July 20.

Wondering about the US team's World Cup schedule? The USWNT will begin play in Group E, facing Vietnam, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Their first match will be against Vietnam on July 22, followed by a July 27 matchup against the Netherlands and an August 1 match against Portugal. Read more about the USWNT's World Cup schedule here.

Pay equity has been a hot-button issue in soccer and many other sports in recent years, especially with the USWNT reaching an equal pay agreement in May 2022. While FIFA has not yet reached gender pay equity, it's making some improvements.

The prize money at the 2023 Women's World Cup will total $152 million, per FIFA, which is three times what was handed out at the 2019 tournament but is still only about a third of the $440 million awarded for the 2022 men's edition of the World Cup. FIFA also set a goal of having equal prize money by the next editions of the tournaments, in 2026 for men and 2027 for women.

If you're watching from the US, you can keep up with the World Cup through the Fox Sports TV network and the Fox Sports app, including any cable or streaming service that carries Fox and FS1 (such as Sling, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV).

You will also be able to stream games on Max (formerly HBO Max). Coverage begins on Thursday, July 20.

Image Source: Getty Images / Fiona Goodall