A tournament of... the underdogs
This Women’s World Cup will be remembered for teams that outperformed against the odds, and cemented their place on the international stage.
First there’s Jamaica. The Reggae Girlz, or so they’re known, were disbanded 15 years ago when the Jamaican Football Federation cut their funding. Since they came back together in 2014, the team have struggled to get enough support, and have been helped by fundraisers and sponsors, including from The Bob Marley Foundation.
Despite this, Jamaica didn’t concede a single goal throughout the group stages, and became the first Caribbean nation to reach the knockout round.
The 2023 Women’s World Cup will also be remembered as the tournament where African nations shone - Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa all making it through to the knockout stages.
Nigeria have been in a battle with their football federation over withheld pay. South Africa were making only their second Women’s World Cup appearance. And Morocco were the first Arab nation to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
Then there was Haiti, making their Women’s World Cup debut. Before the tournament, we spoke to Haiti player Milan Pierre-Jerome, about what it meant to the country that they were going to a World Cup.
Haiti has a history of political instability, and is often seen by the world as a dangerous place. It was even deemed too dangerous to do a large public parade of the Women’s World Cup trophy, when it was on tour before the tournament began.
But in Milan’s words, this World Cup gave players the opportunity to “promote Haiti in a positive way” amongst the world.
Seeing these countries not just qualify, but come and excel against the odds is a testament to the growth of the women’s game.
“This is what we wanted in the women’s game - we wanted growth and we wanted nations to step up and improve. That’s exactly what you are seeing at this World Cup” - Millie Bright, England captain
A tournament of... curious press conferences
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve been glued to my Twitter feed waiting for snippets of press conferences to drop.
‘Pressers’, or so they’re called in the media world, are rare opportunities for journalists to put a couple of questions to managers and/or players.
And there were some beautiful moments, when players opened up and things got deep.
Australian defender Ellie Carpenter talked about her dreams to play for Australia, despite there not being a girls team for her to play in growing up.
There was Brazil’s Marta, with this emotional speech about the legacy she leaves behind as she retires from international football.
But there were also a couple of, shall we say, misplaced questions, that got people talking for all the wrong reasons…
The BBC apologised after one of their journalists asked a Moroccan player whether there were any gay players in the squad. Same-sex marriages are illegal in Morocco.
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There was also this moment, when Swedish goalkeeper Zećira Mušović was asked what many called a ‘disrespectful’ question - whether she knew Zlatan Ibrahimović.
Ibrahimović is a former player who had a 20-year career for the Sweden men’s team.
And a lot of people took to socials saying the question was patronising, asking why he was testing her knowledge of the men’s game.
A tournament of... saying goodbye to heroes, saying hello to new ones
“On the field, their character, everything. They’re the reason we’re all here today”.
This is the USA’s captain Lindsey Horan, talking about the players who have said they would be retiring from international football at the end of the tournament.
There was one goodbye in particular that properly got me. Try watching this video without a few tears in your eyes…
Marta holds the all-time scoring record - men or women - of World Cup goals, and has played in six Women’s World Cups.
We said an early goodbye to Megan Rapinoe, after the USA didn’t make it past the group stages. Asked about the stand-out memory of her career, Rapinoe said it was the ‘equal pay chance’. This was the first Women’s World Cup where men and women would be paid the same for representing the United States.
“We’ve used our special talent to do something that has changed the world forever, that’s what means the most to me” - Megan Rapinoe
There will also be fond memories from this tournament of young, fresh players, cementing their place in international football.
South Korea’s Casey Phair, the youngest player ever to take to the pitch at a Women’s World Cup, was credited by her manager as “the future of this team”.
Then there’s Columbia’s Linda Caicedo, who rocked up at the tournament having played in two other World Cups in the space of a year - the U20s and the U17s World Cup.
Caicedo was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 15. After surgery and chemotherapy, she went straight back into football, and is now one to watch for the future.
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A tournament of... smashing records. And smashing them again
“Cut the bull crap, it’s time to step up and support women’s football”
Strong words from Jamaica’s manager Lorne Donaldson. And it’s the numbers that are doing the talking….
This Women’s World Cup is now the most attended women’s sport tournament in history.
And for the likes of you and I who couldn’t be there in person, we watched the coverage in our millions.
England's defeat of Australia in the semi-finals was the most watched event in Australian TV history, with an audience of over 11 million.
Ireland’s group stage match with Canada was the most-viewed women’s sport event in Irish television history.
But it’s not just about numbers.
Morocco’s Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a hijab at the Women’s World Cup. She has now been added as a player on FIFA 23, one of the most popular games in the world.
Canada midfielder Quinn became the first transgender and non-binary person to play at a World Cup - men’s or women’s.
South Africa’s Desiree Ellis became the first woman of colour to lead the team - and the first to take them through to the knockout stages.
It’s these trailblazers who continue to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
A tournament of... legacies, and a final note on the rollercoaster
Earlier on, I used the analogy of a rollercoaster. And I’ll finish by explaining what I mean when I say that this ride has simultaneously stopped - and begun.
Because those 1.7 million people that bought tickets, making this the most attended women’s sporting event in history, they’re not going anywhere.
These are the fans that will now join a chorus of voices to shape the women’s game - and women’s sport - in the future. It’s these fans that have proved that there is an appetite and a market for women’s sport.
As this tournament finishes, the process of bidding for the media rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 has opened - as has the opportunity to bid for the 2031 tournament. It will certainly be interesting to follow these developments…
A final note from me. Here at TNM, we’ve been on the women’s sport rollercoaster ever since we were born as a company. And we’ll keep on not just riding it, but actively co-piloting it alongside athletes, journalists, and you guys, the fans, raising issues around equity and representation in women’s sport.