FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Round of 16 Preview: In Australia and New Zealand, England, the USWNT, Australia, South Africa, and 12 other teams have advanced to the quarterfinals. Learn about all the teams that made the mark.
With the conclusion of the group phases in Australia and New Zealand, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 advances to the Round of 16.
In the first phase of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the 32 competing nations were divided into eight groups, from Group A to Group H. In a single-headed round robin format, each team in each group played each other once, and the top two teams from each group advanced to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Round of 16 – the first of the knockout stages.
Group E’s reigning champions USWNT barely qualified for the Round of 16 after drawing their final two group games. Their only victory came against Vietnam, before they were unable to defeat 2019’s runners-up Netherlands and 2023’s debutants Portugal.
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Round of 16 Preview:
After their shocking 3-2 defeat to Nigeria, the fate of co-hosts Australia was left to the very final match of Group B. However, a 4-0 victory over Canada allowed them to finish first in their division, sending the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalists home.
Three victories out of three in Group D secured England’s spot in the knockout round. Following victories of 1-0 over Denmark and Haiti, an extraordinary 6-0 performance against China ensued. The Lionesses join Japan and Sweden as the only three teams in this tournament to have won all of their group games.
During the group phases of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, several notable athletes were eliminated from competition.
Brazil was eliminated from Group F after winning only one game against Panama. They then lost to France and drew with Jamaica, allowing the Reggae Girlz to advance to the knockout round while women’s football legend Marta was eliminated from her final Women’s World Cup.
Germany failed to advance beyond the group stage for the first time. Prior to this summer, their worst finish at a Women’s World Cup was a quarterfinal exit, making their 2023 campaign their least remarkable to date.
Colombia, who dominated Group H with two wins and one loss, contributed to Germany’s early elimination. This is only the nation’s second appearance in the Women’s World Cup Round of 16 in its entire history. In their inaugural Women’s World Cup campaign, their only defeat was to Morocco, who finished second in Group H.
South Africa also qualified for the Round of 16 for the first time ever at a Women’s World Cup. They placed second in Group G, finishing ahead of Italy and Argentina.
Switzerland, Norway, Australia, Nigeria, Japan, Spain, England, Denmark, Netherlands, USA, France, Jamaica, Sweden, South Africa, Colombia, and Morocco have all qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Round of 16.
Complete list of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 nations qualified for the Round of 16
| Group | Team qualified (1st position) | Team qualified (2nd position) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Switzerland | Norway |
| B | Australia | Nigeria |
| C | Japan | Spain |
| D | England | Denmark |
| E | Netherlands | USA |
| F | France | Jamaica |
| G | Sweden | South Africa |
| H | Colombia | Morocco |
Women’s World Cup Round of 16 in 2023
Times are displayed in/Local/CEST (UTC +2)/EST (UTC -4)
Switzerland against Spain
5 August 2023, 17:00 / 07:00 / 01:00
Switzerland comfortably topped Group A after two scoreless draws and a 2-0 victory over debutants Philippines. Despite claiming first place, the Swiss will need to improve their play if they are to defeat Spain. In their three group stage games, La Roja scored eight goals, but a 4-0 loss to Japan culminated in a second-place finish. Switzerland have not conceded a goal in this tournament, but Spain has the offensive ability to change that.
Japan v Norway
Saturday, August 5, 2023, at 20:00, 10:00, and 04:00 p.m.
Japan sailed through Group C with a perfect 3-for-3 record, including a 4-0 victory over Spain. They have scored 11 goals in just three games thus far, and will be aiming to increase that total against Norway in the round of 16. The Norwegians conceded just one goal in the group stage, which could result in a very close matchup between the two teams.
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Holland versus South Africa
-1 day on August 6, 2023 at 12:00 / 04:00 / 22:00
South Africa made history by qualifying for the Round of 16 for the very first time, but now they must face the formidable Dutch squad. The Dutch launched off their FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign with a nervy 1-0 victory over Portugal, but stepped up their game in their final group match, defeating Vietnam 7-0. The Banyana Banyana defeated Italy 3-2 in a hard-fought match before holding Argentina to a 2-2 draw. On the final day of Group G, they were defeated by Sweden by a narrow margin, but they will draw confidence from their group performances as they advance to the knockout round.
Sweden versus the U.S.
Sunday, August 6, 2023, at 20:00, 11:00, and 05:00
The USWNT squeaked through Group E and will face Group G champion Sweden for a spot in the quarterfinals. Following their performances in the group stage, the defending world champions enter this match as underdogs, as Vlatko Andonovski’s squad will face Sweden, who won all three of their group games. The United States Women’s National Team has never failed to reach the semifinals of a Women’s World Cup, but could this be the year?
England against Nigeria
Monday, August 7, 2023, at 17:30, 09:30, and 03:30
Following two nerve-wracking 1-0 victories, England officially qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 with a 6-0 victory over China. They will enter this match as favourites, but they must not overlook the Super Falcons, who defeated co-hosts Australia 3-2 in the group stage. After some lacklustre performances by the so-called “big nations” of the tournament, England will have their sights set on winning the entire tournament, while Nigeria will attempt to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1999.
Australia vs. Danes
7 August 2023 – 20:30 / 12:30 / 06:30 Monday
Similar to the Lionesses, Australia did not arrive until their final group match against Canada. The Matildas’ 4-0 thrashing of the reigning Olympic champions was enough to secure first place and a match against Denmark in the round of 16. The Danes were unlucky not to take anything from their game against England, but with Sam Kerr finally fit to debut for Australia, they will need to improve on their group stage performance if they wish to advance.
Columbia versus Jamaica
Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at 18:00, 10:00, and 04:00
For a match that could have been Germany vs. Brazil, this has tremendous potential to be the Round of 16’s marquee matchup. Both teams have already surpassed expectations, with Colombia reaching the knockout stage for only the second time in their history and Jamaica doing so for the first time ever, and they continue to impress with each victory. In the final Group F match, the Reggae Girlz held Brazil to a scoreless draw, while Colombia stunned the globe with a 2-1 victory over Germany.
France v Morocco
Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at 20:30, 13:00, and 07:00
Morocco continued to create history by qualifying for the Round of 16 as a debutant. They are now up against France, a formidable opponent, but will take heart from Jamaica’s ability to hold them to a 0-0 draw. It is also worth noting that although the French scored six goals against a Panama side making its debut, they also conceded three – an early indication to Morocco that goals are available in this match.
How to witness the Round of 16 of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023
All matches are transmitted live in the United Kingdom on the BBC or ITV, as well as the broadcasters’ respective streaming services, iPlayer and ITVX.
Fox broadcasts all matches on their live channel, FOXSports.com, and the FOX Sports app in the United States.
FIFA.com also offers comprehensive coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, including live broadcasts of all matches via FIFA+.
