Argentina’s scintillating victory against France in the FIFA World Cup final on December 18th was a bittersweet moment. On the one hand, we finally saw Lionel Messi climb his final peak, as Peter Drury so aptly put it. As we all remember, the boy from Rosario scored two goals in the Lusail Iconic Stadium showpiece to take the famous gold trophy back to the streets of Buenos Aires for the third time, and the first time since the days of Diego Maradona.
But while Messi and his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe were battling it out in front of more than 80,000 buoyant fans for the honor of being crowned world champion, spectators the world over knew that they would have to wait another four years before they could witness another showdown for all the marbles. And in four years' time, it will be the first World Cup in a generation without the likes of Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and many more.
But, while we may have to wait until 2026 for the next men’s World Cup, there is another World Cup right around the corner.
The FIFA Women's World Cup has grown in stature alongside the women’s game and is quite rightly one of the world's most prestigious competitions. In seven months' time, the 32 finest nations in women’s football will do battle in Australia and New Zealand in the hopes of calling themselves world champions, alongside Messi and his Argentinian compatriots. OddsChecker, which compares football odds and free bets, have made the United States the favourites for glory down under this summer.
England are the second favourites, and it’s clear to see why. Last summer, the Lionesses defeated Germany in a nailbiting final in front of over 87,000 fans at Wembley to secure a first major trophy for their nation since the men brought football home back in 1966. The attendance was the highest ever recorded in the history of the women’s European Championships. Event organisers in Australia and New Zealand will be hoping to build on the game’s booming popularity this winter.
Some of the most successful nations have earned the right to call themselves champions over the years. From the United States to Germany, these countries have managed to produce some of the most talented female footballers the world has ever seen. Here are the most successful nations in the history of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
United States
The United States are undoubtedly the most successful country in the tournament's history, having won the title four times. This includes their victory in the most recent competition in 2019, when they faced off against the Netherlands in an epic final that went to extra time. That success was their second consecutive world crown, the first coming back in 2015 after they defeated Japan 5-2 in Vancouver’s BC Place stadium to lift the trophy.
The US Women's National Team is full of world-class stars like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Rose Lavelle, who have all earned the admiration of fans around the globe.
Germany
Germany is another nation that has dominated the competition, having won it two times. They have consistently produced high-quality players like Dzsenifer Marozsan, who is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. In the 2019 World Cup, Germany reached the semi-finals, where they were eventually knocked out by the eventual champions, the US Women's National Team.
They too have won back-to-back trophies. Germany won the 2003 showpiece when they defeated Sweden in California in extra time. They retained the trophy four years later when they beat Brazil in China.
In the 2023 edition of the tournament, they will be hoping to bounce back from their heartbreaking defeat to England in the final of last summer's European Championships.
Japan
The Japanese have won the trophy once in the tournament’s illustrious history. They defeated the USA in Germany back in 2015 to claim the victory in shocking fashion. Japan were unfancied entering the tournament and barely scraped through the group stages, finishing as runners-up behind England. From there, however, they beat the three tournament favourites.
Firstly, Japan beat hosts Germany, before defeating 2003 finalists Sweden in the semis. Then they would defeat the overwhelming American favourites in the final via a penalty shootout to claim the trophy for the first and only time in the nation’s history.
Norway
The Norwegians were beaten finalists in the first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup final back in 1991. They lost 2-1 to the United States in China to become the first-ever tournament runners-up.
Four years later, they wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. They defeated Germany 2-0 in Stockholm to claim the honour of being called World Champions. Despite featuring in the first two finals ever played, they haven’t reached the last hurdle since. They will be hoping to change that this summer.
The Netherlands
The Netherlands have never won the World Cup. However, they are certainly a team to watch in the future. They finished as runners-up to the US back in the 2019 tournament, but by reaching the final they proved that the Dutch are a force to be reckoned with. Star players like Lieke Martens have been instrumental in the team’s success, and the Netherlands will be looking to improve upon past results in the upcoming tournaments.
The Women’s Game
The future of the FIFA Women's World Cup looks bright, as more countries are beginning to prioritize the development of their female footballers. Women's teams are now receiving growing recognition and financial backing that could one day rival their male counterparts, which is a great step forward for the sport. However, there is still a long way to go in terms of equality. Women's teams, for example, still earn significantly less money than men's teams.
The FIFA Women's World Cup is a great platform for the world's most successful countries to show off their talent, and the competition will only get better in the years to come. As more countries continue to invest in their female footballers, the competition will become even more exciting, and fans around the world will be able to witness some of the world's best players in action.
