Group A: New Zealand (FIFA world ranking: 22), Norway (12), Switzerland (21), Philippines (53)
While some World Cup host nations would simply be thrilled with automatic qualification, New Zealand will undoubtedly be a bit more ambitious with their aims. They are used to competing at this level — 2023 will be their fifth consecutive appearance in the tournament and sixth overall since it began in 1991.
However, New Zealand are yet to advance beyond the group stage, or even win a match, at the finals — and, if their start to 2023 is any indication, playing on home soil will need to play an outsized part in their quest for such advancement. To that end, unsurprisingly, their group games are all happening in New Zealand rather than in co-host Australia.
Since losing all three matches in the previous World Cup four years ago, New Zealand have undergone an evolution.
Long-time mainstay Abby Erceg retired (again, having done so once in 2017) from international football in January at age 33, although a trio of similarly veteran members (Ali Riley, Betsy Hassett and Annalie Longo, who all made their debuts between 2006 and 2008) are all involved, while Ria Percival tries to make up for over a year of lost action due to an ACL knee injury. Percival made the squad but whether she gets…
