The start of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France kicks off in less than 2 months. Teams are starting to announce their rosters for the summer’s tournament but what are the Quick Facts to know?
Who Qualified?
The 2019 Women’s Tournament is comprised of 24 teams.
- Africa (3): Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa
- Asia (5): Australia, China, Japan, Korea Republic, Thailand
- Europe (9): England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden
- CONCACAF (3): Canada, Jamaica, USA
- Oceania (1): New Zealand
- South America (3): Argentina, Brazil, Chile
How Did Teams Qualify?
The qualification is similar to the Men’s version but is also quite different. The main reason for the difference is not only the number of teams playing in the tournament but also the number of teams that are funded and able to play around the world. The women’s international game is growing fast but some unnecessary prejudice still exists – as seen by the fact that the BEST WOMEN’S PLAYER IN THE WORLD WILL NOT REPRESENT HER COUNTRY (Norway) IN THE WORLD CUP.
In any event, FIFA summarizes the path to qualification well on their site.
Who Are the Favorites?
The heavy favorites are defending and 3x champions – USA, hosts – France and perennial powerhouse and 2x champions – Germany.
Outside of this are Japan (2011 Champions), England, Australia and Canada.
Those that could surprise and compete for the Cup: Brazil, Netherlands and Spain.
You can check the official FIFA Rankings for more.
How Do You Buy Tickets
Similar to the Men’s Tournament, tickets are allocated during phases. However, unlike the men’s phases being mostly a lottery, the women’s game is shockingly first come first serve if you meet the criteria for each phase.
Phase 1
When: Dec 10 to Dec 23, 2018
Who: Visa Cardholders
What: Any ticket
Phase 2
When: Oct 19, 2019 to Mar 7, 2019
Who: General Public
What: Ticket Packages (multi-game ticket purchase for one city)
Phase 3
When: Mar 7, 2019 to whenever all are sold
Who: General Public
What: Individual Tickets
Tickets must be purchased through FIFA’s website.
How Much Do Tickets Cost?
Prices range from 9 Euros all the way to 84 Euros. Here’s a breakdown from FIFA:
