The U.S. women’s national team opens the 2023 World Cup against Vietnam in New Zealand on Friday. The Americans begin their campaign for a third straight World Cup victory, which would be a record, and fifth overall. The USWNT is also undergoing a generational shift, with more than half the roster playing in their first major international tournament.
With columnist Nancy Armour on the ground in New Zealand, USA TODAY Sports will offer the latest updates, highlights, analysis and more throughout the USWNT’s first match. Follow along.
When does the USWNT play?
The Americans play their first Group stage game Friday at 9 p.m. ET. They face Vietnam.
How to watch USWNT in World Cup
Looking for what channel to watch the 2023 World Cup on? Fox will broadcast the tournament in the U.S. on both its main channel and FS1. It’s also available to stream on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app. Spanish-language coverage will be on Telemundo.
WORLD CUP CENTRAL: 2023 Women’s World Cup Live Scores, Schedules, Standings, Bracket and More
See the TV listing for every game and add them to your calendar of choice here!
Is Megan Rapinoe playing in the 2023 Women’s World Cup?
Yes, the unquestioned star of the 2019 World Cup, Rapinoe is back for the 2023 World Cup. It will be her last.
USWNT schedule World Cup
The Americans are scheduled to play three group games.
- Friday, July 21: USWNT vs. Vietnam, 9 p.m. ET
- Wednesday, July 26: USWNT vs. Netherlands, 9 p.m. ET
- Tuesday, Aug. 1: USWNT vs. Portugal, 3 a.m. ET
How many World Cups have USA women won?
The USWNT has won four World Cups overall and are going for their third straight.
How many groups are in the 2023 FIFA World Cup?
There are eight groups, four teams per group, with the top two seeds from each group advancing to the knockout round. The groups are as follows:
- Group A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
- Group B: Australia, Canada, Nigeria, Rep. of Ireland
- Group C: Costa Rica, Japan, Spain, Zambia
- Group D: China, Denmark, England, Haiti
- Group E: Netherlands, Portugal, United States, Vietnam
- Group F: Brazil, France, Jamaica, Panama
- Group G: Argentina, Italy, South Africa, Sweden
- Group H: Colombia, Germany, Morocco, South Korea
How does the World Cup tournament format work?
The World Cup starts with Group play and finishes with knockout rounds. There are eight groups, four teams per group, with the top two seeds from each group advancing to the knockout round. In Group play, each team plays three games. There are four rounds in the knockouts: round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.
Who is favored to win Women’s World Cup 2023?
The Americans are the overwhelming favorite to win the World Cup, which would be their third consecutive title. Virtually every sportsbook is in agreement that the United States is most likely to emerge victorious. For reference, a $100 bet on the USWNT to win it all at +225 odds would yield $225 in winnings, plus the original $100 wager.
Here is a full list of odds for each team to win the World Cup, according to Caesars Sportsbook:
- United States +225
- England +375
- Germany +650
- Spain +700
- France +800
- Australia +1200
- Sweden +1400
- Netherlands +1800
- Canada +2500
- Brazil +2500
- Japan +3000
- Norway +6500
- Denmark +8000
- South Korea +10000
- Portugal +10000
- Italy +15000
- New Zealand +15000
- China +15000
- Haiti +15000
- Colombia +15000
- Ireland +20000
- Zambia +25000
- Switzerland +25000
- Argentina +30000
- South Africa +50000
- Costa Rica +50000
- Jamaica +50000
- Nigeria +75000
- Morocco +75000
- Vietnam +100000
- Panama +100000
- Philippines +100000
Who’s on the USWNT World Cup roster?
The 2023 World Cup roster is one of, if not the, most diverse in U.S. women’s soccer history. This year marks a passing of the torch, as a new generation of soccer talent makes its World Cup debut and tries to continue the Americans’ win streak. Of the 23-player roster, 14 will be playing in their first World Cup. You can learn more about each player from the U.S., as well as some of the standout international stars.
- Goalkeepers: Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars); Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage); Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit).
- Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign); Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns); Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage); Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave); Sofia Huerta (OL Reign); Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham); Emily Sonnett (OL Reign).
- Midfielders: Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville); Julie Ertz (Angel City); Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon); Rose Lavelle (OL Reign); Kristie Mewis (NJ/NY Gotham); Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit); Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit).
- Forwards: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave); Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign); Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit); Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns); Alyssa Thompson (Angel City); Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham).
Women’s World Cup predictions
Perusing expert predictions is a key part of preparing your World Cup betting slip in order to get an understanding of how teams match up with one another and their chances at making deep runs in the tournament.
Here are our expert predictions from the team at USA TODAY:
Nancy Armour
- Winner: United States.
- Final: United States 2, Germany 1.
- Golden Ball: Sophia Smith, United States.
- Golden Boot: Alexandra Popp, Germany.
- Biggest surprise: Crystal Dunn makes an appearance in the U.S. midfield.
Lindsay Schnell
- Winner: United States.
- Final: United States 3, Germany 2.
- Golden Ball: Sophia Smith, United States.
- Golden Boot: Sophia Smith, United States.
- Biggest surprise: Megan Rapinoe comes off the bench late in the semifinals to score the game-winning goal.
Jim Reineking
- Winner: United States.
- Final: United States 3, England 1.
- Golden Ball: Alex Morgan, United States.
- Golden Boot: Rachel Daly, England.
- Biggest surprise: Powered by its star player, Sam Kerr, and the emotional exhilaration of playing in front of the home crowd for every game, it wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see Australia advance as far as the semifinal.
