We’ve had another landmark year for women’s football in 2023 — more record attendances, more prominence on television and, above anything else, a truly fantastic World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
While much of the progress in the women’s game over the last half-decade has been concentrated in wealthy Western countries, a notable feature of this World Cup was the improved performance of the outsiders.
First-time qualifiers the Philippines defeated New Zealand. Fellow debutants Haiti played some of the most exciting counter-attacking football in the tournament. Jamaica, meanwhile, recorded draws against both France and Brazil and reached the knockout stage for the first time.
“People expected really lopsided scores,” said Jill Ellis, who won the Women’s World Cup as manager of the United States in 2015 and 2019. “But we saw competitive games. People have asked me, ‘What’s your most inspirational moment?’. For me, it’s Morocco getting to the knockout round.”
The progress of the African nations was impossible to ignore.
Three of the four participants from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) advanced to the knockout phase. Nigeria shocked Australia to win 3-2 in Brisbane, one of the most memorable matches of the tournament. South Africa came from…
