2003 FIFA Women's World Cup facts for kids
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | United States |
| Dates | 20 September – 12 October |
| Teams | 16 |
| Venue(s) | 6 (in 6 host cities) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Germany (1st title) |
| Runners-up |  Sweden |
| Third place |  United States |
| Fourth place |  Canada |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 32 |
| Goals scored | 107 (3.34 per match) |
| Attendance | 656,789 (20,525 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Birgit Prinz (7 goals) |
The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup was a big international football tournament for women's national teams. It was the fourth time this exciting event was held. The tournament took place in the United States from September 20 to October 12, 2003. Sixteen teams from all over the world competed to become champions. In the end, Germany won the trophy, making it their first Women's World Cup title!
Contents
How the Tournament Worked
The 2003 Women's World Cup started with a group stage. The 16 teams were divided into four groups: Group A, B, C, and D. Each team played against the other teams in their group.
Group Stage: Who Advanced?
After all the group matches, the top two teams from each group moved on. These eight teams then entered the knockout stage. This part of the tournament was very exciting, as every match was a must-win game!
- Group A: The USA and Sweden moved forward.
- Group B: Brazil and Norway qualified for the next round.
- Group C: Germany and Canada made it out of their group.
- Group D: China and Russia advanced.
Knockout Stage: The Road to the Final
The knockout stage was where the competition really heated up. Teams played single-elimination matches. If a team lost, they were out of the tournament.
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 1 October | ||||||||||
 United States |
1 | |||||||||
| 5 October | ||||||||||
 Norway |
0 | |||||||||
| United States |
0 | |||||||||
| 2 October | ||||||||||
 Germany |
3 | |||||||||
| Germany |
7 | |||||||||
| 12 October | ||||||||||
 Russia |
1 | |||||||||
| Germany |
2 | |||||||||
| 1 October | ||||||||||
 Sweden |
1
|
|||||||||
 Brazil |
1 | |||||||||
| 5 October | ||||||||||
| Sweden |
2 | |||||||||
| Sweden |
2 | |||||||||
| 2 October | ||||||||||
.svg){kind=small} Canada |
1
|
|||||||||
 China |
0 | |||||||||
| Canada |
1
|
|||||||||
Semifinals: Big Matches
In the semifinals, four strong teams battled it out:
- Germany played against the USA. Germany won 3-0, which was a big surprise for many fans.
- Sweden faced Canada. Sweden won 2-1 in a close match.
These wins set up an exciting final between Germany and Sweden.
Third Place Match: USA vs. Canada
Before the final, the USA and Canada played for third place. Both teams had played well throughout the tournament.
| 11 October 2003 15:30 |
United States  |
3–1 | Canada |
Carson, California Attendance: 25,253 Referee: Tammy Ogston (Australia) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lilly  22'Boxx 51'Milbrett 80' |
(Report) | Sinclair 38' |
The USA team won this match 3-1. They secured the third-place trophy. Goals for the USA were scored by Kristine Lilly, Shannon Boxx, and Tiffeny Milbrett. Christine Sinclair scored for Canada.
The Final: Germany vs. Sweden
The grand final was played on October 12, 2003. It was a thrilling match between Germany and Sweden.
| 12 October 2003 13:00 |
Germany  |
2–1 (asdet) | Sweden |
Carson, California Attendance: 26,137 Referee: Cristina Babadac (Romania) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meinert 46' Künzer 98' |
(Report) | Ljungberg 41' |
The game was tied 1-1 at the end of regular time. This meant it went into extra time, with a "golden goal" rule. The first team to score would win! Nia Künzer scored the golden goal for Germany in the 98th minute. This made Germany the champions of the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Top Scorer
The top scorer of the tournament was Birgit Prinz from Germany. She scored 7 goals during the competition. Her goals helped Germany win the World Cup.
Images for kids
-
Qualifying countries
See also
In Spanish: Copa Mundial Femenina de Fútbol de 2003 para niños
