FIFA Women's World Cup facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
FIFA Women's World Cup

FIFA logo without slogan
Organising body	FIFA
Founded	1991; 34 years ago (1991)
Region	International
Number of teams	32 (48 from 2031 onwards)
Related competitions	FIFA World Cup FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Current champions	Spain (1st title) (2023)
Most successful team(s)	United States (4 titles)
Television broadcasters	List of broadcasters

The FIFA Women's World Cup is a huge international soccer competition. The best women's national teams from around the world compete in it. FIFA, the world's soccer governing body, organizes this exciting event.

The tournament happens every four years. It started in 1991 in China. Back then, it was called the FIFA Women's World Championship.

In the current setup, 31 teams earn their spots through a three-year qualification process. The country hosting the tournament automatically gets one spot. The main tournament, called the World Cup Finals, takes place in the host country (or countries) over about one month.

So far, nine FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments have been played. Five different national teams have won the trophy. The United States has won four times. Germany has won twice. Japan, Norway, and Spain have each won once.

Eight countries have hosted the Women's World Cup. China and the United States have hosted it twice. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden have each hosted it once.

The 2023 tournament was held in Australia and New Zealand. This was the first time it was in the Southern Hemisphere. It was also the first Women's World Cup hosted by two countries. Plus, it was the first FIFA competition for men or women held across two different soccer regions. The 2027 tournament will be hosted by Brazil. This will be the first time it is held in South America.

How the Tournament Works

Getting Ready: Qualification

Teams must qualify to play in the World Cup. They do this through tournaments held in six FIFA regions: Africa, Asia, North and Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Oceania, and Europe. Each region has its own soccer group that organizes these games.

FIFA decides how many teams from each region can join the World Cup. This depends on how strong the teams in that region are. The host country always gets a spot automatically. Most regions hold their own continental tournaments to decide who qualifies. Since the 2015 World Cup, the number of teams grew from 16 to 24, and now to 32. For the 2031 World Cup, the number of teams will increase again, to 48!

The Main Tournament: Finals

The final tournament brings together 12 to 32 national teams (48 starting from 2031). They compete for about a month in the host country or countries. The tournament has two main parts: the group stage and the knockout stage.

In the group stage, teams are put into groups of four. Each team in a group plays against every other team once. This is called a round-robin tournament. The last games in each group are played at the same time. This makes sure everything is fair.

In the 2015 tournament (with 24 teams), the top two teams from each group moved on. Also, the four best third-place teams qualified for the next round. This next round is called the knockout stage.

Teams get points for their games:

• 3 points for a win
• 1 point for a draw (a tie)
• 0 points for a loss

If teams have the same number of points, other rules decide their rank:

• The team with the best goal difference (goals scored minus goals against) ranks higher.
• If still tied, the team that scored more goals ranks higher.
• If teams are still tied, their head-to-head results (how they played against each other) are used.

The knockout stage is like a bracket. Teams play one-off matches. If a game is a tie after regular time, they play extra time. If it's still a tie, they have a penalty shootout to decide the winner. This stage starts with the Round of 16. Then come the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final match. There's also a third-place match for the teams that lost in the semi-finals. Starting in 2031, with 48 teams, the knockout stage will begin with a Round of 32.

History of the Women's World Cup

Women's soccer tournaments happened even before FIFA officially started the World Cup. The first known Women's World Cup was in 1970 in Italy. Denmark won that one. Another non-FIFA World Cup was held in Mexico in 1971. Denmark won again, beating Mexico 3-0 in the final at the Azteca Stadium. In the 1980s, a tournament called the Mundialito was held in Italy. Italy and England each won it twice.

Many countries lifted bans on women's soccer in the 1970s. This led to many new women's teams forming. After official women's tournaments were held in Asia (1975) and Europe (1984), people wanted FIFA to do more for women's soccer.

So, in 1988, FIFA held a test tournament in China. It was called the 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament. This was to see if a global women's World Cup would work. Twelve national teams took part. The first match between China and Canada had 45,000 fans! The tournament was a big success, with crowds averaging 20,000 people. Norway, who were European champions, beat Sweden 1-0 in the final. Brazil took third place. Because it was so successful, FIFA decided on June 30 to start an official Women's World Cup.

The first official FIFA Women's World Cup was in 1991, again in China. Twelve teams competed. The United States won, beating Norway 2-1 in the final. Michelle Akers scored both goals for the U.S.

The 1995 tournament in Sweden tried a "timeout" rule, but it was later removed. Norway won that year, beating Germany 2-0. In the 1999 tournament, one of the most famous moments happened. American defender Brandi Chastain celebrated her winning penalty kick by taking off her jersey and waving it. The 1999 final in the Rose Bowl in California had an amazing 90,185 fans!

The 1999 and 2003 Women's World Cups were both held in the United States. China was supposed to host in 2003, but the tournament moved because of the SARS outbreak. As a result, China still got to play in 2003 and was chosen to host the 2007 World Cup. Germany hosted in 2011, and Canada hosted in 2015. The 2015 competition was the first to have 24 teams.

During the 2015 World Cup, Formiga from Brazil and Homare Sawa from Japan played in their sixth World Cup. This was a record for any soccer player, male or female! Christie Pearce became the oldest player in a Women's World Cup match at 40 years old. France hosted the 2019 World Cup.

In 2019, the United States won the tournament for the fourth time.

In 2023, Australia and New Zealand hosted the FIFA Women's World Cup together. The number of teams grew to 32. It was also the first time the tournament was held in the Southern Hemisphere. Spain won their first title, beating England 1-0 in the final. This made Spain the second country to win both the Men's and Women's World Cups, after Germany. In 2027, Brazil will host the FIFA Women's World Cup. This will bring the tournament to South America for the first time. In 2031, Mexico and the United States will host the tournament together. The number of teams will expand to 48. In 2035, the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales) will host.

The World Cup Trophy

The current trophy was designed in 1998 for the 1999 tournament. It looks like a spiral band with a soccer ball on top. It was made in Milan and is about 47 centimeters (18.5 inches) tall. It weighs about 4.6 kilograms (10 pounds). The trophy is made of sterling silver covered in 23-karat gold. The names of past winners are engraved on the base.

The Women's World Cup trophy is very valuable. However, a new Winner's Trophy is made for each champion team to take home. FIFA keeps the original trophy.

Since 2007, the winning team also gets a special FIFA Champions Badge. They wear this badge on their jerseys until the next World Cup winner is decided.

Who Has Hosted the World Cup?

The Women's World Cup has been hosted by different countries around the world.

Total of World Cup competitions hosted by each confederation (1991–2035)
Confederation and year in bold has an upcoming competition

Confederation	Total	Hosts
Asian Football Confederation (AFC)	3	1991:  China 2007:  China 2023:  Australia
Confederation of African Football (CAF)	0
Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF)	4	1999:  United States 2003:  United States 2015:  Canada 2031:  Mexico,  United States
South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL)	1	2027:  Brazil
Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)	1	2023:  New Zealand
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA)	4	1995:  Sweden 2011:  Germany 2019:  France 2035:  England,  Northern Ireland,  Scotland,  Wales

How Many People Watch?

The Women's World Cup has grown a lot in popularity. More and more people are watching the games.

Year	Hosts	Venues/ Cities	Total attendance	Matches	Average attendance	Highest attendances
						Number	Venue	Game(s)
1991	China	6/4	510,000	26	18,344	65,000	Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou	China PR 4–0 Norway, Opening match
1995	Sweden	5/5	112,213	26	4,316	17,158	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Germany 0–2 Norway, final
1999	United States	8/8	1,214,209	32	37,944	90,185	Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California	United States 0–0 (5–4p) China PR, final
2003	United States	6/6	679,664	32	21,240	34,144	Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.	United States 3–1 Sweden, quarter-final
2007	China	5/5	1,190,971	32	37,218	55,832	Tianjin Olympic Center, Tianjin	China PR 2–0 New Zealand, group stage
2011	Germany	9/9	845,751	32	26,430	73,680	Olympiastadion, Berlin	Germany 2–1 Canada, group stage
2015	Canada	6/6	1,353,506	52	26,029	54,027	BC Place, Vancouver	England 2–1 Canada, quarter-final
2019	France	9/9	1,131,312	52	21,756	57,900	Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu	United States 2–0 Netherlands, final
2023	Australia  New Zealand	10/9	1,978,274	64	30,911	75,784	Stadium Australia, Sydney	Five matches, including the final, all at Stadium Australia
2027	Brazil	8/8		64			TBA	TBA
2031	Mexico  United States	/		104			TBA	TBA
2035	England  Scotland  Northern Ireland  Wales	/		104			TBA	TBA
Overall			9,015,900	348	25,908	90,185	Rose Bowl, Pasadena (1999)

Notes:

• The 2003 Women's World Cup was first planned for China. But because of a SARS outbreak, it was moved to the United States.
• The 2023 Women's World Cup set a new record for attendance. More people watched it than any other FIFA competition, except for the men's FIFA World Cup.

Tournament Results

Here are the winners and top teams from each FIFA Women's World Cup.

Ed.	Year	Hosts		Final				Third-place playoff			No. of teams
				Champions	Score	Runners-up		Third place	Score	Fourth place
1	1991	China		United States	2–1	Norway		Sweden	4–0	Germany	12
2	1995	Sweden		Norway	2–0	Germany		United States	2–0	China	12
3	1999	United States		United States	0–0 (aet) (5–4 p)	China		Brazil	0–0 (5–4 p)	Norway	16
4	2003	United States		Germany	2–1 (aet)	Sweden		United States	3–1	Canada	16
5	2007	China		Germany	2–0	Brazil		United States	4–1	Norway	16
6	2011	Germany		Japan	2–2 (aet) (3–1 p)	United States		Sweden	2–1	France	16
7	2015	Canada		United States	5–2	Japan		England	1–0 (aet)	Germany	24
8	2019	France		United States	2–0	Netherlands		Sweden	2–1	England	24
9	2023	Australia  New Zealand		Spain	1–0	England		Sweden	2–0	Australia	32
10	2027	Brazil									32
11	2031	Mexico  United States									48
12	2035	England  Scotland  Northern Ireland  Wales									48

So far, 44 countries have played in at least one Women's World Cup. Five of these nations have won the World Cup. The United States is the most successful team, with four titles. They are also one of only seven nations that have played in every single World Cup. The U.S. team has also finished in the top four eight times and reached the final five times. They even made it to three finals in a row (2011, 2015, and 2019).

Map showing the best results of countries in the Women's World Cup

Teams in the Top Four

This table shows which teams have reached the semi-finals (top four) in the Women's World Cup.

Teams reaching the semi-finals

Team	Title(s)	Runners-up	Third place	Fourth place	Top 4 total
United States	4 (1991, 1999*, 2015, 2019)	1 (2011)	3 (1995, 2003*, 2007)		8
Germany	2 (2003, 2007)	1 (1995)		2 (1991, 2015)	5
Norway	1 (1995)	1 (1991)		2 (1999, 2007)	4
Japan	1 (2011)	1 (2015)			2
Spain	1 (2023)				1
Sweden		1 (2003)	4 (1991, 2011, 2019, 2023)		5
England		1 (2023)	1 (2015)	1 (2019)	3
Brazil		1 (2007)	1 (1999)		2
China		1 (1999)		1 (1995)	2
Netherlands		1 (2019)			1
Canada				1 (2003)	1
France				1 (2011)	1
Australia				1 (2023*)	1

* host nation

Best Performance by Regions

There are six FIFA regions (called confederations). Four of them have had teams reach the Women's World Cup final. The only regions that haven't are Africa (CAF) and Oceania (OFC). South America (CONMEBOL) is the only region to reach a final but not win it, when Brazil lost in 2007.

The farthest an African team has gone is the quarter-finals, by Nigeria in 1999. Oceania has sent two teams, Australia and New Zealand. Australia started doing better after its soccer association moved to the Asian region. New Zealand, which is still in the Oceania region, has never made it past the group stage.

The United States and Norway are the only teams to win a tournament hosted by their own region. The U.S. won in 1999 (at home) and 2015 (in Canada). Norway won in 1995 (in Sweden).

Watching the Games and Money

The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final was the most-watched soccer match in American history at the time. Nearly 23 million people watched it! That was even more than the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup that year. Over 750 million people worldwide watched the tournament.

The 2023 Women's World Cup made $570 million. This shows how much the tournament has grown.

In 2023, FIFA decided to sell the TV rights for the Women's World Cup separately from the men's tournament for the first time. This was a big step.

Records and Statistics

Boldface means a player is still actively playing.

Top Goal Scorers

Marta from Brazil has scored the most goals in the FIFA Women's World Cup history.

Individual Players

Rank	Player	Goals scored
1	Marta	17
2	Birgit Prinz	14
	Abby Wambach
4	Michelle Akers	12
5	Cristiane	11
	Sun Wen
	Bettina Wiegmann
8	Christine Sinclair	10
	Ann Kristin Aarønes
	Carli Lloyd

Countries

Rank	Country	Goals scored
1	United States	142
2	Germany	129
3	Norway	100
4	Sweden	83
5	Brazil	71
6	England	56
7	China	55
8	Japan	54
9	Australia	48
10	France	44

Awards for Players and Teams

At the end of each World Cup, special awards are given to players and teams. These awards celebrate great performances, not just who won the trophy.

There are five main awards chosen by FIFA's experts:

• The Golden Ball is for the best overall player in the tournament. It started in 1991.
• The Golden Boot is for the player who scores the most goals. It also started in 1991.
• The Golden Glove is for the best goalkeeper. This award began in 2003.
• The FIFA Young Player Award is for the best player under 21 years old. It started in 2011.
• The FIFA Fair Play Trophy is for the team that shows the best sportsmanship. It has been given since 1991.

There are also awards voted on by fans:

• The Player of the Match is given to a player who performs outstandingly in each game. This started in 2003.
• The Goal of the Tournament is for the best goal scored in the tournament, chosen by fans. It started in 2007.

Some awards are no longer given, like the All-Star Squad or Most Entertaining Team.

World Cup	Golden Ball	Golden Boot	Goals	Golden Glove	Clean sheets	FIFA Young Player Award	FIFA Fair Play Trophy
1991 China	Carin Jennings	Michelle Akers	10	Not awarded	N/A	Not awarded	Germany
1995 Sweden	Hege Riise	Ann Kristin Aarønes	6				Sweden
1999 United States	Sun Wen	Sun Wen Sissi	7	Gao Hong Briana Scurry	5		China
2003 United States	Birgit Prinz	Birgit Prinz	7	Silke Rottenberg	5		China
2007 China	Marta	Marta	7	Nadine Angerer	6		Norway
2011 Germany	Homare Sawa	Homare Sawa	5	Hope Solo	2	Caitlin Foord	Japan
2015 Canada	Carli Lloyd	Célia Šašić	6	Hope Solo	5	Kadeisha Buchanan	France
2019 France	Megan Rapinoe	Megan Rapinoe	6	Sari van Veenendaal	3	Giulia Gwinn	France
2023 Australia/New Zealand	Aitana Bonmatí	Hinata Miyazawa	5	Mary Earps	3	Salma Paralluelo	Japan

Other Women's Soccer Tournaments

Before the official FIFA Women's World Cup, there were other important women's soccer tournaments:

• 1970 Women's World Cup
• 1971 Women's World Cup
• Women's World Invitational Tournament (1978-1987)
• Mundialito (women) (1981-1988)
• 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament

See also

In Spanish: Copa Mundial Femenina de Fútbol para niños

• FIFA Women's Club World Cup
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
• FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
• FIFA Men's World Cup