SixSports Predicts: Who Will Win The World Cup?

With less than 24 hours to the start of the much anticipated 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, anticipation continues to build amongst football lovers, with football fever sweeping across the globe as the world eagerly awaits the pinnacle of international Women’s football.

Football fans, experts and enthusiasts around the World are eagerly speculating which national team will emerge victorious and claim the coveted trophy. Amidst the excitement and anticipation, SixSports has meticulously examined the 32 participating teams and their chances of lifting the trophy.

While the unpredictability of the game often makes it challenging to make clear-cut predictions, we’ve carefully considered the complex dynamics at play in a tournament of this magnitude — talking about the historical performances of each country & players, form, technical strengths and strategies employed by the gaffers of each nation currently poised to go head-to-head at the Australia & New Zealand 2023 World Cup.

From 20th July to 20th August, all attention will be on the Women’s World Cup where 32 teams are set to participate for the first time since the competition began as a 12-team tourney back in 1991.

While we wouldn’t do a complete breakdown of all the teams’ chances and the eight groups, we’re going to narrow the winner down to four nations that are almost certain to etch their names into the annals of football history, putting into perspective that female football isn’t as volatile as their men’s counterparts where surprises and shocks are undisputed.

Favourites: United States of America.

Having won the last two editions of the Women’s World Cup, the United States women’s football team doesn’t need an elaborate explanation as to why they’re amongst the favourites to lift this year’s edition of the women’s championship.

The USWNT has exerted a dominant presence in this competition, emerging victorious in four out of the eight editions of the tourney held thus far and consistently securing a podium finish at those times they failed in claiming the winner’s medal.

Currently parading the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Rose Lavelle, Sophia Smith and co, the USWNT possess the capabilities of achieving a historical three-peat.

Strongest challengers: England.

Coming from the back of a monumental Euro 2022 triumph on home soil, the Three Lionesses of England coached by the three-time Best FIFA Women’s Coach, Sarina Wiegman, is another country capable of laying a claim on the 2023 FIFA World Cup.

The fact that the Lionesses are without integral players in Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead might be a major hindrance, but the dexterity of coach Wiegman coupled with the handful of world-class talents at her disposal is enough to propel England to their maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup title.

Dark Horses: Germany.

Next up on our list is the Euros runners-up Germany. Although they haven’t won any major title in the last 10 years, the DFB Women’s Team are always a team to watch out for in every edition of the tournament, following their success in the USA 2003 and their title defence in China PR four years later.

Having successfully qualified for every edition of this competition, the pressure is on the German ladies to break their title drought, and what better way to do that than the World Cup? Especially after their Euros 2022 heartbreak.

Long-shot: Spain.

Lastly, we have the La Rojita of Spain. This might be quite debatable mostly due to the internal crisis that led to the resignation of 15 players from the team in September 2022.

However, harder rocks have been weathered, and the presence of two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, and top scorer Jennifer Hermoso, who both missed the Euros 2022 will be an addition to the side.

Poised to feature at their third World Cup, the Spanish women have a lot to prove, with their all-time best performance being a last-16 reach. Having said that, they qualified by finishing top of their group and were one of the four European teams to win all of their qualifiers. That definitely sets the tone as to what to expect from them when the competition kick-starts properly.

While the answer to who will be the eventual winner of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup might not have been stated explicitly in this article, SixSports makes a bold prediction that the champion will fall into one of the above countries, knowing full well that this is football where predictions often falter, where underdogs can rise and favourites can stumble.