As quickly as women’s soccer tends to grow year over year, 2023 felt like a giant leap forward.
The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand was the most competitive iteration in the tournament’s history by many measures. Traditional powerhouses such as Germany, Brazil and the U.S. all stumbled out early, while Colombia, Jamaica, South Africa and debutante Morocco made it further than they ever have, causing upsets along the way. We even got a first-time winner in Spain, a team that previously had only ever reached the round of 16.
On the club side, there was just as much growth. In the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Barcelona claimed their second title for the 2023-24 campaign, while eight-time winners and perennial favorites Lyon were ousted in the quarterfinals. Stateside in the NWSL, NJ/NY Gotham FC became first-time champions and the San Diego Wave became first-time Shield winners with the best regular-season record. In England’s WSL, Chelsea again won the league, but it was more competitive as new teams emerged as contenders, like Manchester United (No. 2) and Aston Villa (No. 5), who had their highest-ever finishes in the league.
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The women’s game, long marked by the haves and have-nots, saw…
