Women's World Cup 2023: Who are the main contenders?

There is just one month to go until one of football’s biggest competitions kicks-off. This year, the Women’s World Cup takes place in Australia and New Zealand for the first time ever, and it’s set to be the biggest edition of the tournament ever in terms of audience and viewing figures.

You can look back at our report in March for a rundown of the stadiums that are hosting matches, but this week we’re taking a look at some of the favourites to win the competition. Where else to start than with the reigning champions the USA. The tournament win in France in 2019 was the fourth time they have lifted the trophy, as they defeated Netherlands in the final. This year, they’ll face some stern competition from several other teams to defend their crown, but their experience is why they’ll be tough to beat again.

Philadelphia Enquirer reporter Jonathan Tannewald told us, “I think they're in pretty good shape right now. And they showed it during the recent Shebelieves Cup mini tournament that was played at the same time as the Arnold Clark Cup and some of the other tournaments around the world.”

“The mental piece of it is undoubtedly a big deal. And it's actually an interesting storyline with this U.S. squad because they will go into the World Cup with a significant number of players who have not played in a major tournament before. So that could make a difference this summer.”

So the USA know what it’s like to win silverware, but so do strong contenders England. The Lionesses picked up the European Championships last summer, beating Germany in the final. At the turn of the calendar year, most people had them down as out and out favourites for this World Cup, but they’ve been hit with some big injuries to some crucial players that