This summer, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Women’s World Cup will be making its 32nd return with, coincidentally, 32 national teams. From Brazil to Morocco, women from all over the world will be representing their home countries in a series of matches being hosted in two nations: New Zealand and Australia.  

“I used to play soccer, so watching it now is like a past-time. It is a lot of fun and cool to watch the players do what they do best,” Joshua Frantz, JV girls soccer coach, said. 

The first Women’s World Cup series was held in 1991, and the U.S. women’s national team claimed the first victory 2-1 against Norway. The U.S. claims the spot for most Women’s World Cup titles, winning four since the beginning. Despite Norway being a point away from the win back in 1991, the team came back the following world cup games in 1995 where they were crowned the new World Champions against Germany (2-0) in the final match. The win also named Norway as the first European country to win the title.  

“For this World Cup, I want the U.S. to win again. I think they are a powerful team, but also, the feeling that someone gets when your favorite team wins is the best.” Saul Vijil, junior, said.  

Women across the globe have made history with their victories, but the most notable matches took place during the 2011 finals where Japan and the U.S. went head-to-head for the win. The game ended in a penalty shootout after the 2-2 score remained stagnant in the last seconds. Japan emerged victorious for the first time in history after the penalties (3-1), bringing the trophy to a new part of the globe. If the U.S. would have won, it would have secured their third victory at the time. However, since Japan won, they were crowned as the first Asian nation to win the title alongside being the fourth team to win the cup. The final match was met with pride from Japanese fans, as their home country had suffered from catastrophic tsunamis and earthquakes a few months prior, giving the Japanese a sense of hope and joy.  

“We definitely wanted a medal, but I never would have dared to dream that we would win it,” Maestro Sawa, Japanese midfielder, said. 

The 2023 Women’s World Cup will be July 20, with New Zealand and Norway commencing the competition. The chances of the U.S. winning a fifth title are high, but so are the chances of a fifth country joining the World Cup winners list. To stay up to date with the latest World Cup news, one can visit the official FIFA website here.