fifa women's world cup referee assignments 2023

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Match Officials on track for FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™

Doha hosted the second of three preparatory seminars for the referees on duty at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™

Event attended by match officials from the AFC, CAF and OFC

Kari Seitz: It’s a pit-stop on the road to Australia & New Zealand 2023

The roads leading to FIFA World Cup™ competitions are long and winding for both teams and referees alike, especially when the competitions in question are held on the other side of the world. Launched in 2020, the Road to Australia and New Zealand project set out a road map for 170 match officials hoping to take part in the FIFA Women’s World Cup later this year. Three years on and with less than six months to go before the big kick-off, only 33 referees, 55 assistant referees and 19 video assistant referees will be heading Down Under. In preparation for the big event, some of them have just participated in seminars in the Qatari capital, Doha, while the rest will attend another to be held in Montevideo, Uruguay, later this month.

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ match officials seminar - Part 2

“It is really a pit-stop on the road to Australia and New Zealand,” said Kari Seitz, FIFA Head of Refereeing, Women. “This is the moment where we bring everybody together and really fine tune it. So, you have to fill the gas tank, check the tyres… Think of it like a national team and they have their last training camp. We have already selected our players. These are our players for the World Cup.” The first to head to Doha were match officials from UEFA for a four-day seminar running from 24 to 28 January. They have been followed by their counterparts from the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa) and OFC (Oceania). Last but not least, representatives from Concacaf and CONMEBOL will head to the Uruguayan capital later in February. The drill is the same for all of them: fitness tests and preparation, recovery work, VAR, and theory sessions. “We monitor them all the time. We follow them. We offer them all the support they need,” said FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi Collina. “These seminars are the occasion to work with them directly, to see them in person, to work on the field of play, to get some feedback from them, to make some evaluations of their fitness or their health conditions. In terms of theoretical lessons, we have many of them during the seminars, trying to go through all the most difficult incidents that could occur on the field of play.” “We have five months to get them completely at peak performance. And that’s what these seminars are about,” added Seitz. “We want to make sure that when they leave here, they have a clear path to be 100% ready in terms of fitness, 100% ready in terms of medical, and that they are very clear on our teachings from FIFA on how we want the matches to be considered and analysed and called.”

There is a real sense of excitement among the referees currently in Doha and a growing sense of anticipation as the tournament start date of 20 July approaches. As one of the attendees at the second seminar in the Qatari capital, Heba Sadieeh can vouch for that. The Palestinian referee will be on duty at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, becoming the first person from her country ever to take part in a men’s or women’s World Cup. “To be the first Palestinian at the World Cup is a huge responsibility in terms of showing how much progress has been made in football, especially in refereeing,” she said. “I’m so happy to represent my country and all the women of west Asia. By being at a World Cup, I would like to inspire other women to become a referee.” Assistant referee Fanta Kone of Mali has a challenge of her own on her hands, having given birth to twins. “After giving birth to my beautiful twins it’s not been easy at all, because it requires a lot of work,” she explained. “I created a plan with my husband and my department: the physical trainer and the director. I trained a lot and did a lot of hard work to maintain a good level of fitness. And I was appointed to matches in the men’s Malian First Division, big matches especially, and soon I’ll be at the World Cup.”

FIFA Women's World Cup Referees Seminar II - Doha

Referees and technical staff take part in a practical session, fifa president gianni infantino poses for a selfie with the referees during the fifa women's world cup referees seminar ii, heba saadieh is seen during the theory session, referees and technical staff take part in a practical session during the seminar, referees is seen during the theory session, kari seitz, fifa’s head of women refereeing, at a practical session of the referee seminar, theory session for the referees attending the seminar in doha, practical session during the fifa women's world cup referees seminar.

Expectations are huge and the challenges no less significant. After all, the road to any FIFA Women’s World Cup is littered with pitfalls. However, as Seitz pointed out, the end is in sight: “The goal and the challenge over the next five months is to keep everybody healthy. The fitness shouldn’t be an issue because we have a very clear plan, but their health – in five months, anything can happen. “We’re really focused on making sure that the referees are correctly taking care of themselves, because unlike the players, in some cases, these girls have other jobs. They have work that they do, and so they have to find this balance, but with the goal of being 100% ready. “The other side is that we still have challenges for women in football. Still we have countries who don’t give enough matches to these women referees, who don’t take them to the training courses with their elite referees. We still need to make sure that the countries are doing everything possible in concert with FIFA, together with us, that they really believe in these women referees and they give them the support they need at home. So, with that, with them staying healthy, we’re sure to have a successful World Cup.”

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 full list of referees, nationality, names and photos

• Marukho Pfozhe
• Jul 20 2023

https://thesportsgrail.com/fifa-womens-world-cup-2023-full-list-of-referees-nationality-names-and-photos/

As the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup gets all set to begin, check out the full list of referees officials for the tournament, including main referees, assistant referees, VAR officials and more

The tournament will take place in Australia and New Zealand and consist of 32 participating nations.

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 full list of referees, names, photos

This year, for the first time ever, the Men's World Cup will see women serve as referees — three officials and three assistants: 🇫🇷 Stéphanie Frappart 🇯🇵 Yoshimi Yamashita 🇷🇼 Salima Mukansanga 🇧🇷 Neuza Back Brazil 🇲🇽 Karen Díaz Medina 🇺🇸 Kathryn Nesbitt pic.twitter.com/oFrjCFuDgg — Front Office Sports (@FOS) November 20, 2022

Chinese referee Xie Lijun, who was selected as an assistant referee for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, has arrived in Australia to prepare for the event. Xie has officiated international and domestic competitions, including the AFC Women's Asian Cup. #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/MKckYnjT1H — Sports China (@PDChinaSports) July 11, 2023

Countries like England and the USA are the favorites’ to win the tournament, while France and Australia are strong contenders.

With match officials playing crucial roles in deciding match outcomes at certain points in the tournament, teams will be looking to stay on their good side. Find out who are these year’s match officials below.

Women’s World Cup 2023 referees full list of officials

Ahead of the tournament, FIFA announced on January 9, the full list of officials taking part. There are about 33 main referees, 55 assistant referees and 19 video match officials looking after the VAR. These include all the various representatives from every confederation. UEFA has the most officials at the tournament compared to all other federations.

Ful list of referees at Women’s World Cup 2023

Given below is the list of all the main referees at the upcoming Women’s World Cup 2023:

Assistant referees at Women’s World Cup 2023

Given below is the full list of Assistant referees at the Women’s World Cup 2023:

List of VAR officials at upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup

Just like the men’s competition and the 2019 edition, the Women’s World Cup will also feature VAR at every match. There 19 VAR operators set to feature in Australia and New Zealand in the upcoming competition with six of the, being female. Given below is the full list of VAR officials at upcoming 2023 Women’s World Cup.

2019 Women’s World Cup Final match official

French official Stephanie Frappart, was the main match official who refereed the 2019 Women’s World Cup final. The final match featured the USA vs the Netherlands, which USA won 2-0 thanks to two goals. The two goals came in eight second-half minutes, where one was a penalty awarded after a VAR review.

Frappart is currently one of the most well-respected officials in the sport having achieved a number of firsts while working as a female referee. She was taken charge of matches across various tournaments like the 2019 UEFA Super Cup, Ligue 1 matches, 2022 Coupe de France, men’s 2022 World Cup and more.

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• Upcoming tournament: FIFA Women's World Cup 2023
• Australia & New Zealand
• 20 July – 20 August

The Referees of the 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is set to be an exciting event, and a crucial part of the tournament is the team of match officials who will ensure fair play and adherence to the rules. FIFA has officially published the list of match officials, including referees, assistant referees, and video assistant referees, who will officiate at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Referees and Assistant Referees

The list of referees and assistant referees is diverse, with representatives from all six football confederations: AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, OFC, and UEFA. This ensures a global representation of officials, reflecting the international nature of the tournament.

Video Assistant Referees

The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup will also feature Video Assistant Referees (VARs), a technology that has been increasingly used in football to assist with crucial decisions. The VAR team for the tournament includes officials from the AFC, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, and UEFA confederations. For the first time in the Women's World Cup, the FIFA Referees Committee has appointed six female video assistant referees, marking a significant step towards gender equality in football officiating.

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Nine PRO officials selected for the FIFA Women’s World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will have nine officials from the Professional Referee Organization working across games in Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20, 2023.

The group includes referees Katja Koroleva and Tori Penso , assistant referees Chantal Boudreau , Felisha Mariscal , Brooke Mayo , and Kathryn Nesbitt , and video match officials Carol Anne Chenard , Drew Fischer , and Armando Villarreal .

Two-time NWSL Challenge Cup Final referee Koroleva will participate in her second World Cup after being a fourth official at the 2019 tournament in France. She is joined on the referee roster by Tori Penso, who made her on-field MLS debut in 2020 and joined the FIFA international panel the following year before working the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2022.

The four PRO assistant referees who have received call-ups all officiated at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship last year, along with Koroleva and Penso. They have almost 30 years of combined FIFA experience, with three of them – Boudreau, Mariscal and Nesbitt – having worked the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France. Furthermore, Nesbitt recently returned from the men’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where she was assigned to 11 games, including the final.

Fellow men’s World Cup officials Fischer and Villarreal will travel to Australia and New Zealand as video match officials. The former most recently worked as VAR for France’s semifinal win over Morocco, with Villarreal as Support VAR, a role he also performed for the African side’s third-place playoff against Croatia.

Chenard refereed at the 2011 and 2015 women’s World Cups during her 16 years on the FIFA international panel and will return to the biggest stage in the booth, being one of the first six women from across the world to be selected as a VMO for a World Cup.

PRO would like to congratulate all the officials that will form part of the team of 33 referees, 55 assistant referees, and 19 video match officials for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

• ← Officiating roster for 2023 confirmed
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American refs could elevate U.S. Soccer’s standing during the Women’s World Cup

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Tori Penso and Katja Koroleva may have more invested in the U.S. team ’s performance at this summer’s Women’s World Cup than anyone not wearing a uniform.

As the only two center referees from the U.S. chosen to work the World Cup, how far they go will be determined by how far the national team goes in the tournament, which kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20. If the U.S. reaches the final — as it has five times in the previous eight World Cups — the American officials will be barred from working that game. Even the semifinals could be a bridge too far.

“These rules aren’t in writing,” Penso said. “But there’s certainly a lot that goes into consideration when it comes to assignments. I wouldn’t be part of any game that would have impact on the U.S.”

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That’s why Kari Seitz , among the most decorated soccer officials of all-time, worked four Women’s World Cups and three Olympic tournaments, yet never did a final. That did little to stunt her career — she’s now FIFA head of officiating for women.

“If she can go to four World Cups and still manage to be as successful as she was, I don’t think you need a final to do it,” Penso said. “But certainly the U.S. program does limit where we end up at the end.”

Not so long ago, that might not have been an issue because no U.S. referee, other than Seitz, would likely have been considered for a World Cup final. That all changed last December in Qatar when four Americans were named to the officiating team for the championship game. Ismail Elfath was on the field as the fourth official, Kyle Atkins was the assistant video assistant referee and Kathryn Nesbitt and Corey Parker were reserve officials.

So while Argentina won the game, the U.S. won the night.

“We’ve made such big strides,” said Mark Geiger , a two-time World Cup official who now heads the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), which manages the officials for pro soccer in the U.S. and Canada. “We’ve seen this progression of officiating and it’s putting U.S. Soccer on the map in terms of refereeing and it’s raising the bar for all officials. We’re doing better and better on the world stage, getting more opportunities and now we’re in the conversation for games in the knockout phase.”

Penso is a part of that conversation even though she didn’t get her FIFA badge, making her ineligible to work international matches, until 2021. She didn’t need a badge to prove her competency; what she needed was an opportunity.

Penso was 10 years old when she started following her brothers to the soccer fields near their home in Florida. When her brothers started officiating games to earn a little pocket change, Penso decided to do that too, using that money to buy her first car. But by the time she finished college the sport seemed like a dead end; there was no women’s professional league and no full-time female referees.

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So she took marketing jobs with Coca-Cola and Red Bull and got a master’s degree, all while officiating on the side in collegiate tournaments and later in the NWSL. She showed enough promise that in 2019 she was asked to join PRO’s development program and a year later she became the first woman in two decades to serve as the center referee in an MLS match.

But the turning point in her career came during the last Women’s World Cup in France, which Penso watched on television while cradling her infant daughter, Brinley, her third child, in her arms. If she wanted to break through as an official, she decided, she would have to quit her day job at an advertising agency and dedicate herself to soccer, just as her husband, Chris Penso , a former Ohio highway patrolman and an MLS referee since 2011, had done.

For both the move was made possible by PRO, which made officials full-time salaried employees rather than part-time workers like NFL referees, most of whom are paid by the game.

“Refereeing was kind of my side hustle,” said Tori Penso, who turned 37 earlier this month. “Now that’s completely flipped and I’m headed to the World Cup. Unbelievable.”

It’s been a rapid rise, one that has coincided not just with the ascent of U.S. referees, but also with the improvement in performance and opportunity for female officials. Earlier this season, for example, Penso was the center referee on a crew that included assistant referee Brooke Mayo and fourth official Felisha Mariscal , marking the first time three women have worked an MLS game together.

That’s not Penso’s only historic achievement. Perhaps more impressive is the fact she didn’t really dedicate herself to refereeing until after giving birth to three children. And with Mayo, Mariscal, Koroleva, Nesbitt and VAR referee Armando Villarreal joining her in New Zealand and Australia at the World Cup, Penso will make more history as one of a record six U.S. officials at the tournament.

“Every little kid dreams of one day making it on the field at the World Cup,” Penso said. “For me, I didn’t know it would ever be possible once I started to have a family. It wasn’t typical for officials to have a family and come back and be successful — or at least rise in the ranks that way.”

None of the six are guaranteed an assignment in the 64-game tournament. Each of the 107 match officials invited to the World Cup will be evaluated during a pre-tournament training camp and given games based on their performance. Additional assignments will be handed out on merit — though even the best officials might not make the final if their national team does as well.

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“I don’t have control over that,” Penso said. “What I can control is every time we step on that pitch, doing a good job and serving the game well. How do we get better? How do we encourage, inspire and engage more women in this game in all capacities?

“When little girls see us out on that field, they believe anything is possible and that’s not just in soccer. It transcends sport, right?”

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Kevin Baxter writes about soccer and hockey for the Los Angeles Times. He has covered seven World Cups, four Olympic Games, six World Series and a Super Bowl and has contributed to three Pulitzer Prize-winning series at The Times and Miami Herald. An essay he wrote in fifth grade was voted best in the class. He has a cool dog.

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Women's World Cup 2023 referees: Full list of officials for FIFA tournament in Australia and New Zealand

Excitement is building for the 2023 Women's World Cup, as 32 nations are in their final stages of preparation for the tournament taking place in Australia and New Zealand.

The likes of England and the USA are the favourites to win the biggest prize in women's football, while France and Australia will be looking for a little bit of luck to take them to an unlikely triumph.

They will also be hoping to get the rub of the green in terms of decisions made by the match officials, with the referees and their assistants sure to have an impact on the fate of teams at certain points in the tournament.

The Sporting News looks at all the referees, assistant referees and VARs who will be watching over all 64 matches at the Women's World Cup.

MORE: Which teams have qualified for Women's World Cup 2023?

Women's world cup 2023 referees: full list of officials.

FIFA announced  the full list of officials taking part in the Women's World on January 9.

There are 33 main referees, 55 assistant referees and 19 video match officials manning the VAR.

These include representatives from every confederation, with UEFA having the most officials at the tournament.

Referees at Women's World Cup 2023

Assistant referees at Women's World Cup 2023

VAR officials at 2023 Women's World Cup

The Women's World Cup will also feature VAR at every match, the second time video officials will be used after debuting at the 2019 tournament.

There has been an increase from 15 VAR operators to 19 in Australia and New Zealand.

Six of the VAR officials are female.

Who refereed the 2019 Women's World Cup Final?

French official Stephanie Frappart refereed the 2019 Women's World Cup final between the USA and the Netherlands.

The USA won the match 2-0 thanks to two goals in eight second-half minutes, one of which was a penalty awarded after a VAR review, as Frappart initially allowed a kick to the shoulder from Stefanie van der Gragt to go unpunished. She handed out three yellow cards during the match.

Frappart is one of the most respected officials in the sport and has achieved a number of firsts as a female referee. She took charge of the 2019 UEFA Super Cup match between Liverpool and Chelsea and made her men's Champions League debut a year later when Juventus faced Dynamo Kyiv. 

A regular fixture at men's Ligue 1 matches, Frappart refereed the 2022 Coupe de France final between Nice and Nantes and closed the year as the main official for the men's 2022 World Cup match between Germany and Costa Rica.

Patrick is a freelance journalist who is currently based in Sydney.

What is VAR? What to know about the 2023 Women's World Cup technology

The u.s. was eliminated from the world cup after a var review in the penalty shootout, by sanjesh singh • published august 6, 2023 • updated on august 6, 2023 at 7:37 am.

VAR has played a major role in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup .

The recent technological addition to football returned to the quadrennial tournament after being used in the 2019 edition for the first time in a women’s World Cup. There’s a team of 19 video match officials operating VAR in the tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. That total includes six women, for the first time ever.

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The technology was on full display in Sunday’s USWNT-Sweden match , all the way down to the final moment. With the score tied at 4-4 in a penalty kick shootout, U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher appeared to have saved a shot from Sweden’s Lina Hurtig. But after a quick review from VAR, it became more clear that the ball ever-so-slightly cleared the goal line.

Here’s everything to know about VAR at the 2023 World Cup:

What is VAR?

VAR stands for video assistant referee. It is a tool designed to further assist on-field referees in making correct decisions as they occur while minimizing risks and errors. 

Referees are able to head to an on-field booth near the tunnel to view replays of the incident through multiple angles and slow motion to review calls. 

When was VAR introduced?

VAR had first been soft launched in the 2012-13 Eredivisie season in the Netherlands. 

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In 2018, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved trials before it was used in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 

The Premier League first used it in the 2019-20 season. 

How accurate is VAR?

Though VAR entered the sport to help boost accuracy levels, it’s nearly impossible for the rate to be 100% due to the subjectivity of certain calls. 

In the Premier League, for example, there was a tangible improvement. Before the 2018-19 season, the percentage of correct match decisions was 82%. That figure increased to 94% after the 2019-20 season with VAR’s implementation, according to the Premier League . 

Can VAR overrule a referee?

No, VAR cannot overrule a referee. VAR can provide advice to the referee on when to check the monitor themselves or which angles to view to make a better judgment, but the final decision rests on the referee’s shoulders.

At the 2023 World Cup, VAR decisions will be explained in real time to fans in stadiums and television audiences for additional transparency.

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What is VAR? What to know about the 2023 Women's World Cup technology

The u.s. was eliminated from the world cup after a var review in the penalty shootout, by sanjesh singh • published august 6, 2023 • updated on august 6, 2023 at 10:37 am.

VAR has played a major role in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup .

The recent technological addition to football returned to the quadrennial tournament after being used in the 2019 edition for the first time in a women’s World Cup. There’s a team of 19 video match officials operating VAR in the tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. That total includes six women, for the first time ever.

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The technology was on full display in Sunday’s USWNT-Sweden match , all the way down to the final moment. With the score tied at 4-4 in a penalty kick shootout, U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher appeared to have saved a shot from Sweden’s Lina Hurtig. But after a quick review from VAR, it became more clear that the ball ever-so-slightly cleared the goal line.

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Here’s everything to know about VAR at the 2023 World Cup:

What is VAR?

VAR stands for video assistant referee. It is a tool designed to further assist on-field referees in making correct decisions as they occur while minimizing risks and errors. 

Referees are able to head to an on-field booth near the tunnel to view replays of the incident through multiple angles and slow motion to review calls. 

When was VAR introduced?

VAR had first been soft launched in the 2012-13 Eredivisie season in the Netherlands. 

In 2018, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved trials before it was used in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 

The Premier League first used it in the 2019-20 season. 

How accurate is VAR?

Though VAR entered the sport to help boost accuracy levels, it’s nearly impossible for the rate to be 100% due to the subjectivity of certain calls. 

In the Premier League, for example, there was a tangible improvement. Before the 2018-19 season, the percentage of correct match decisions was 82%. That figure increased to 94% after the 2019-20 season with VAR’s implementation, according to the Premier League . 

Can VAR overrule a referee?

No, VAR cannot overrule a referee. VAR can provide advice to the referee on when to check the monitor themselves or which angles to view to make a better judgment, but the final decision rests on the referee’s shoulders.

At the 2023 World Cup, VAR decisions will be explained in real time to fans in stadiums and television audiences for additional transparency.

This article tagged under:

When Is the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup? Hosts, Qualified Teams, More

Australia and new zealand are co-hosting the quadrennial tournament, by sanjesh singh • published october 11, 2022 • updated on december 16, 2022 at 7:24 pm.

When is the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is only a few months away.

After the United States women’s national team claimed the title in the 2019 World Cup in France, the tournament is now moving to a brand-new location: Oceania.

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Here’s everything to know about the 2023 World Cup that is quietly approaching fast:

Who will host the Women’s World Cup 2023?

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. It will mark the first time in FIFA history that a women’s or men’s World Cup tournament will be hosted by more than one country, and the first time Oceania nations are hosting. 

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Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth are the five Australian host cities, while New Zealand’s cities will include Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Dunedin.

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In 2026, of course, the men’s tournament will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

When is the Women’s World Cup 2023?

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is slated to begin on Thursday, July 20, and end a month later on Sunday, Aug. 20.

How many teams will be in the Women’s World Cup 2023?

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is expanding to 32 teams for the first time. Previously, only 24 teams qualified for the quadrennial tournament. 

Who has qualified for the Women’s World Cup 2023?

So far, 29 of the 32 spots have been filled. Here’s the full list of nations that have already qualified for 2023:

• Australia, co-hosts
• New Zealand, co-hosts
• China, AFC Women’s Asian Cup champions
• South Korea, AFC Women’s Asian Cup second place
• Japan, AFC Women’s Asian Cup semifinalist
• Philippines, AFC Women’s Asian Cup semifinalist
• Vietnam, AFC Women’s Asian Cup play-off winners
• South Africa, Women’s African Cup of Nations champions
• Morocco, Women’s African Cup of Nations second place
• Zambia, Women’s African Cup of Nations third place
• Nigeria, Women’s African Cup of Nations fourth place
• United States, CONCACAF W Championship champions
• Canada, CONCACAF W Championship second place
• Jamaica, CONCACAF W Championship third place
• Costa Rica, CONCACAF W Championship fourth place
• Brazil, Copa América Femenina champions
• Colombia, Copa América Femenina second place
• Argentina, Copa América Femenina third place
• Sweden, UEFA Group A winners
• Spain, UEFA Group B winners
• Netherlands, UEFA Group C winners
• England, UEFA Group D winners
• Denmark, UEFA Group E winners
• Norway, UEFA Group F winners
• Italy, UEFA Group G winners
• Germany, UEFA Group H winners
• France, UEFA Group I winners
• Switzerland, UEFA play-offs best winners
• Republic of Ireland, UEFA play-offs second-best winners

When is the draw for the Women's World Cup 2023?

The final draw for the 2023 Women’s World Cup to finalize the group stages was held on Oct. 22.

However, not all groups will be completely ready as playoff qualification matches will take place from Feb. 17-23, 2023. These are the nations competing for the three remaining spots:

• Group A: Portugal, Cameroon, Thailand
• Group B: Chile, Haiti, Senegal
• Group C: Chinese Taipei, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Panama

On Oct. 14, there was a play-off draw that pitted these 10 teams into three different groups lettered A, B and C. Four teams were seeded as the highest in those groups -- Seed A1, Seed B1 and Seeds C1 and C2. The remaining six teams are unseeded, with Group C having four teams and Groups A and B having three.

The four highest-seeded teams in the play-offs were determined by FIFA’s world ranking of the women’s teams , and the rest were drawn randomly with the exception that nations in the same confederation cannot be grouped together. The four seeded teams are Portugal (No. 23), Chile (No. 38), Chinese Taipei (No. 40) and Thailand (No. 41). 

The two unseeded teams in Groups A and B will face off against the seeded A1 and B1 teams in their respective pools. The winner of each matchup will earn a spot in the World Cup. The only difference in Group C is that there are two games before the play-off final: Seed C1 vs. an unseeded team and Seed C2 vs. an unseeded team.  

When are tickets available for the Women’s World Cup 2023?

FIFA opened up ticket packages to VISA cardholders for exclusive first access on Oct. 5. The first phase of general sales ran from Oct. 13-21 with more windows to follow.

For more information on how to purchase tickets for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, click here .

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USA advances to FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals with 3-2 win over Mexico

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Substitute striker Jordynn Dudley ended a wild, back-and-forth contest with a dramatic extra-time winner and the U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team booked its place in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup quarterfinals with a 3-2 win against Concacaf rival Mexico.

The USA’s quarterfinal match will be played on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. ET at the Estadio Pascal Guerrero in Cali, where the Americans played their first two group-stage games. The USA will learn its quarterfinal opponent on Sept. 12 as three-time FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup champion Germany, the Group D winner, faces Group F third-place side Argentina in a Round of 16 match across Bogotá at the Estadio El Techo.

On a cool night in Bogotá, forwards Pietra Tordin and Ally Sentnor also scored for the USA, which held one-goal leads twice before surrendering them.

Dudley, the Florida State star, replaced Tordin, the USA’s leading scorer, in the 86th minute of a tied Round of 16 contest at the Estadio El Campín. The pressure was on and 19-year-old Dudley rose to the occasion, sniffing out a couple scoring chances before regulation ended and then delivering the decisive goal in the 97th minute.

Dangerous 😈 #U20WYNT 🎥 » @TelemundoSports pic.twitter.com/ve0VSwbQAS — U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) September 12, 2024

The USA have now reached the U-20 FIFA women’s World Cup’s last eight for the first time since finishing fourth in 2016 in Papua New Guinea. The U-20s went out in the group stage in 2018 and 2022 (the 2020 tournament was canceled), when the competition featured only 16 teams. Now at 24 nations, the expanded World Cup required a Round of 16 victory to advance. The Americans deserved theirs in front of a pro-Mexican crowd, but they had to work for it.

The win also came with the secondary bonus of avenging the loss to  La Tri  in the 2023 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship Final, although only 10 U.S. players remain from the squad that suffered that setback 15 months ago. Just three Americans who played that night in the Dominican Republic were on the field at kickoff Wednesday in Bogotá. Dudley was a sub in both games.

U.S. head coach Tracey Kevins made one change to the starting XI she deployed in the previous two World Cup games (both wins), inserting midfielder Taylor Suarez in place of Yuna McCormack, who would come on the 63rd minute and greatly impact the game, eventually earning the game-winning assist.

McCormack scored in each of the group stage victories, over Morocco and Paraguay, but Suarez demonstrated her value early as she helped set up the USA’s 10th-minute opener. She held the ball in the attacking third and played a pass back to left winger Emeri Adames, who received the ball and sent a dangerous, bending cross toward the near post. Tordin timed her run well, beat her marker to the ball and hit a perfect volley past Mexico goalkeeper Renatta Cota.

Emeri Adames 🤝 Pietra Tordin #U20WYNT 🎥 » @TelemundoSports pic.twitter.com/nPQjvxMnQp — U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) September 12, 2024

It was Tordin’s fourth goal of the tournament, following her hat trick against Paraguay in the group-stage finale. Adames notched her fourth World Cup assist.

A breathless, wide-open stretch followed as the rivals traded goals.

Mexico equalized in the 22nd following a brilliant run down the left wing by Montserrat Saldívar, whose cross was redirected by Mexico’s Val Vargas, a UCLA sophomore. U.S. center back Jordyn Bugg reached Vargas’ shot at the left post but was unable to keep it out. The Americans were back in front less than five minutes later as Sentnor, the U.S. captain, scored her second of the tournament with a swerving, 25-yard blast that bedeviled Cota before stretching the net.

It was Saldívar’s turn again in the 39th. The 17-year-old Club América attacker ran into a pass played toward the left corner by Alice Soto, beat right back Gisele Thompson on the dribble with a cut back and hammered a short-range shot that skimmed off U.S. center back Heather Gilchrist and past goalkeeper Teagan Wy.

Intermission didn’t seem to slow the Americans down as Tordin thought she’d scored again in the 52nd. Following video review, referee Iuliana Demetrescu put the brakes on the U.S. celebration and ruled that Thompson was offside by half of her cleat during the build-up. Tordin then set up Sentnor for a glittering chance in the 63rd, but the Utah Royals rookie hooked her shot wide right. Kevins then made the first of her first substitutions: McCormack for Suarez and defender Leah Klenke for Thompson. Klenke was excellent on both sides of the ball in her minutes.

The second half ended with the Americans mostly in control although La Tri nearly stole the game in stoppage time when Soto hit the crossbar from distance. Otherwise, Mexico, which started to fatigue in the Bogotá altitude, had less of the ball in its attacking half and Saldívar also quieted down. The U.S. was unable to make its advantage count as it outshot Mexico, 18-12, across the 90-plus minutes and 23-13 for the match. Tordin’s nullified goal and Sentnor’s miss were among its best chances. Dudley also came close a couple times late, with her best look coming a rebound of Sentnor’s blast that was well-saved by Cota after she spilled the first shot into front of the net.

Dudley’s dangerous presence was a sign of things to come. She maintained her focus despite the misses and, seven minutes into extra time, smartly drifted toward the right side of the penalty area as McCormack dribbled left after stealing a Mexican back pass. McCormack sent the ball into the right side of the penalty area to Dudley, who instead of shooting immediately, dribbled toward Mexican defender Natalia Colín at the right post. It reduced Dudley’s angle but it got her closer to the net and she confidently blasted a shot over Cota, off the underside of the crossbar, and in.

It was Dudley’s first goal of the World Cup and her fourth with the U-20s. She missed the previous two matches in concussion protocol but was cleared to play tonight. The ACC Freshman of the Year is accustomed to contributing in decisive moments as she had a goal and an assist in the Seminoles’ NCAA championship win over Stanford last December.

The USA could’ve doubled its lead in the 113th minute but the penalty kick by midfielder Riley Jackson was well-saved by substitute netminder Mariángela Medina, who had replaced the injured Cota in overtime. It wouldn’t matter, as Mexico did not have a third comeback in them and the USA did well to salt away the remaining minutes in overtime and move on to the quarterfinals.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

USA – Pietra Tordin (Emeri Adames), 10th minute: Adames whipped in a left-footed cross from the left wing and Tordin did the rest, beating her marker with a near post run and side-footing a first-time shot inside the left post.  USA 1, MEX 0

MEX – Val Vargas (Montserrat Saldívar), 22nd minute:  Mexico capitalized on its first chance of the game as Saldívar raced past U.S. right back Gisele Thompson and hit a low cross to a wide-open Vargas on the right side of the penalty area. Her seven-yard shot sneaked just inside the left post.  USA 1, MEX 1

USA – Ally Sentnor (Pietra Tordin), 27th minute: The USA recaptured the lead as Tordin controlled the ball, occupied a couple defenders and slipped a pass backward to Sentnor, who dribbled left to set up her shot from about 25 yards out. Sentnor’s well-struck blast swerved quite a bit, catching Mexico goalkeeper Renatta Cota wrong-footed and she was unable to keep it out of the net.  USA 2, MEX 1

🎯🎯🎯🎯 #U20WYNT 🎥 » @TelemundoSports pic.twitter.com/Iw0ODX50tU — U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) September 12, 2024

MEX – Montserrat Saldívar (Alice Soto), 39th minute:  Saldívar once again found space with the ball on the left wing but instead of passing it, she cut the ball back against Gisele Thompson and hit a shot from the left corner of the six-yard box. It skimmed off defender Heather Gilchrist, leaving goalkeeper Teagan Wy with no chance to make the save.  USA 2, MEX 2

USA – Jordan Dudley (Yuna McCormack), 97th minute: McCormack stole a poor back pass from a Mexican defender and went to work, driving toward goal and pulling a couple defenders toward the left. She then turned and found Dudley on the right side of the penalty area. Dudley dribbled at Mexico’s Natalia Colín and, from a tight angle, ripped a shot high over the goalkeeper.  USA 3, MEX 2 FINAL

Additional Notes

• Ally Sentnor scored her second goal of the World Cup and 11th of her U-20 career. She also had a goal in the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, giving her three World Cup goals for her career.
• Pietra Tordin’s four goals in the World Cup leads the USA as she upped her career total to six in 11 U-20 caps.
• Jordynn Dudley’s game-winning goal was her first of the World Cup and fourth U-20 tally in 11 appearances.
• McCormack’s assist was her second of the World Cup and she now has two goals and two assists in four games.
• This was the second time the USA has defeated Mexico in the knockout rounds of a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, winning 2-1 in the quarterfinal in 2016.

-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match:  United States Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team vs. Mexico Date:  Sept. 11, 2024 Competition:  2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup – Round of 16 Venue:  El Campin Stadium; Bogotá, Colombia Attendance:  4,352 Kickoff:  8 p.m. local (9 p.m. ET) Weather:  59 degrees, chilly

Lineups: USA: 1-Teagan Wy; 2-Gisele Thompson (13-Leah Klenke, 64), 4-Jordyn Bugg, 15-Heather Gilchrist, 3-Savy King (5-Elise Evans,101); 6-Claire Hutton (10-Ally Lemos,101), 16-Riley Jackson, 14-Taylor Suarez (18-Yuna McCormack, 64); 9-Ally Sentnor (Capt.), 19-Pietra Tordin (8-Jordynn Dudley, 86), 11-Emeri Adames (17-Maddie Dahlien, 74) Substitutes not used: 7-Giana Riley, 12-Mackenzie Gress, 20-Addison Halpern, 21-Caroline Birkel Head coach: Tracey Kevins

MEX: 1-Renatta Cota (21-Mariangela Medina, 118); 2-Michel Fong (14-Isabela Esquivias, 57), 3-Ana Mendoza (17-Tatiana Flores, 118), 4-Natalia Colin, 5-Giselle Espinozal; 8-Fatima Servin (Capt.) (15-Silvana Gonzalez, 84), 16-Yareli Valadez, 10-Alice Soto; 11-Valerie Vargas (7-Maribel Flores, 68), 9-Paola Garcia (18-América Frías, 68), 19-Montserrat Saldivar Substitutes not used: 6-Alejandra Lomeli, 12-Valeria Martinez, 13-Nicol De Leon, 20-Hailey Gordon Head coach: Ana Galindo

Stats Summary: USA / MEX Shots: 22 / 13 Shots on Goal: 11 / 8 Saves: 6 / 8 Corner Kicks: 9 / 2 Fouls: 10 / 12 Offside: 1 / 1

Misconduct Summary: None

Officials: Referee: Luliana Demetrescu (ROU) AR1: Svitlana Grushko (UKR) AR2: Amina Gutschi (AUT) 4th Official: Casey Reibelt (AUS)

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World's best in action

VAR at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™

"Technology brings transparency and quality and it provides a positive outcome for teams who decide to attack and take risks."

5 ESSENTIAL FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT VAR

A video assistant referee team supports the match officials during all 64 matches.

The video assistant referee team is located in a centralised video operation room in Moscow.

The video assistant referee team has access to all relevant broadcast cameras and two dedicated offside cameras.

The video assistant referee does not take any decisions; he supports the referee in the decision making process and the final decision can only be taken by the referee.

Football fans will be informed about the review process by broadcasters, commentators and infotainment.

"I support the use of VAR. I believe it is an element of greater justice for the game and for the teams."

THE VAR TEAM

The team consists of the video assistant referee (VAR) and his three assistant video assistant referees (AVAR1, AVAR2 and AVAR3). All video assistant referee team members are top FIFA match officials.

The FIFA Referee Committee has selected 13 Referees, who will act solely as video assistant referees during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™.

The selection criteria for the VAR Team was primarily based on their experience as Video Match Officials in their respective National Associations and Confederation competitions, in addition to their successful participation in several preparatory seminars and FIFA competitions, where they enhanced their VAR knowledge and skills by using the system.

In addition to the 13 Video Assistant Referees, some of the Referees and Assistant Referees who were selected for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia will also act as Video Match Officials during FIFA’s main competition. These appointments will be made before the matches.

List of Match Officials for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™

Four replay operators select and provide the best camera angles. Two of them pre-select the most likely camera angles while the other two provide the final angles chosen by the VAR and the AVAR2 for each checked or reviewed incident.

The VAR watches the main camera on the upper monitor and checks or reviews incidents on the quad-split monitor. He is responsible for leading the VAR team and communicating with the referee on the field of play.

Four replay operators select and provide the best camera angles.

The AVAR1 concentrates on the main camera and keeps the VAR informed about live play if an incident is being checked or reviewed.

The AVAR3 focusses on the TV programme feed, assists the VAR in evaluating incidents and ensures good communication between the VAR and AVAR2 located at the offside station.

The AVAR2 is an assistant referee located at the offside station. He anticipates and checks any potential offside situations to speed up the VAR check and review process.

WHAT DOES A VAR ACTUALLY DO?

A video assistant referee (VAR) has a very complex task when using video technology in a match at the at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. In this video, Felix Zwayer explains what a VAR actually does.

A VAR’S PREPARATION FOR THE FIFA WORLD CUP™

Mark Geiger, FIFA Referee explains the time, training and preparation that goes into becoming a VAR.

MATCH-CHANGING INCIDENTS EXPLAINED

Roberto Rosetti, VAR Refereeing Project Leader explains how the review process functions when the VAR Team are checking or reviewing each of the four match-changing situations.

THE VIDEO OPERATION ROOM (VOR)

The video assistant referee team supports the referee from a centralised video operation room (VOR), located in the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Moscow. All relevant camera feeds from the 12 stadiums are provided to the VOR through a fibre optic network. The referee on the field at each stadium talks to the VAR team via a sophisticated fibre-linked radio system.

TOUR OF THE VOR

The VOR is a vital part of Video Assistant Referee (VAR). The VOR is not only where the VAR Team is located but also where all the technology that makes VAR possible is housed. Get an inside look at the setup.

THE CAMERAS

The video assistant referee team has access to 33 broadcast cameras, eight of which are super slow-motion and four of which are ultra slow-motion cameras. In addition, they have access to two offside cameras. These two cameras are only available to the video assistant referee team. For the knockout phase two additional ultra slow-motion cameras will be installed one behind each goal that will also be available to the VAR team. Slow motion replays are mainly used for factual situations, for example, to identify the point of contact of a physical offence or the position of an offence. Normal speed is used for subjective judgments, for example, the intensity of an offence or to determine if a handball was deliberate. The VAR team has access to all FIFA host broadcaster camera feeds, with the exception of few cameras which do not cover the game, for example the helicopter camera. Neither are the feeds from cameras installed by Media Right Licensees (MRLs) available to the VAR team. Such cameras generally focus on the team the MRLs represent and are not part of the official host broadcaster’s camera plan.

THE DECISION PROCESS

The video assistant referee team supports the decision-making process of the referee in four game-changing situations:

Goals and offences leading up to a goal

Penalty decisions and offences leading up to a penalty

Direct red card incidents only

Mistaken identity

VAR EXPLAINED

Throughout a match, the video assistant referee team constantly checks for clear and obvious errors related to these four match-changing situations. The VAR team communicates with the referee only for clear and obvious mistakes or serious missed incidents.

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup™, the referees have received clear instructions on when to accept information from the video assistant referee and when to review the video footage on the side of the field of play before taking the appropriate action/decision.

On-Field Review (for interpretation)

foul committed by attacking player

offside interference

Penalty Decisions

foul leading up to penalty

foul by attacking player

All direct red card incidents

VAR Advice Only (for factual incidents)

offside position leading up to goal

ball out of play leading up to goal

foul committed inside or outside the penalty area

ball out of play leading up to penalty

offside position leading up to penalty

All cases of mistaken identity

REFEREE REVIEW AREA (RRA)

The referee review area (RRA) is a clearly marked area, which contains a mobile screen device that allows the referee to review incidents. It is located pitchside near the technical areas.

HAND SIGNALS

Hand to the ear.

The referee can delay a restart at any time to communicate with the VAR. He will signal this by pointing to his ear.

This is not considered an official VAR review.

Official Review Sign

The referee will make the official VAR review signal to indicate that play has been stopped to review a decision with the on-field review monitor or to change a decision based on information received from the VAR.

An official VAR review only takes place if the referee makes the signal.

THE VIRTUAL OFFSIDE LINE

Virtual offside lines are computer-generated lines projected onto the broadcast image of the field of play to help the VAR determine whether an offside offense has occurred. The offside lines used are the best possible and most accurate lines that can be generated with existing technology due to calibration using multiple synchronised camera angles. Virtual offside lines are superimposed on the broadcast image by computer software.  Angle of view, lens distortion, field curvature and many other factors are considered when calculating the true position of the these lines. The lines will be calibrated before each match by the technology provider to take into account the exact pitch dimensions and conditions on the day. The VAR team will have various tools available for determining offside positions, which have been validated in a number of tests across different venues by an independent third party using survey grade equipment.

3D offside line system

Ever wondered how the 3D offside line system works? This video illustrates how the virtual offside line is placed on the field of play, showing the set-up by the technology provider and measurement by the test laboratory.

VAR INFORMATION SYSTEM

To ensure that all football fans in the stadium and watching on TV are well informed during a review process, FIFA has developed a VAR information system for broadcasters, commentators and infotainment. For each match, a FIFA staff member informs the broadcasters, commentators and infotainment about the different steps of the review process, including information about the reason for the review and the outcome of the review, via a networked touch tablet.

The person operating the tablet is located in the video operation room and has access to the audio from the referee communication system as well as the camera angles the VAR is looking at. The VAR information system will also be used to automatically create VAR-specific graphic templates for TV and the giant screen in the stadium.

TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS

Making sure the technology at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ functions seamlessly is a very complex task that requires a lot of planning, coordination and organisation. Due to this, FIFA has multiple technology providers who are experts in their field to ensure the technology functions correctly. The providers for each of the technologies are as follows: Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Crescent Comms (audio) and Hawk-Eye Innovations (video) Goal-Line Technology (GLT): Hawk-Eye Innovations

VAR Technology

The use of video assistant referees (VARs) in football was first included in the Laws of the Game in 2018/19. FIFA assesses the technological aspects of VAR systems through the FIFA Quality Programme for VAR Technology.

FIFA Quality Programme for VAR Technology

The FIFA Quality Programme complements the Implementation Assistance and Approval Programme and administers the licensing process for VAR providers.

Implementation Assistance and Approval Programme for VAR technology (IAAP)

The Implementation Assistance and Approval Programme (IAAP) was approved during The IFAB’s 132nd Annual General Meeting on 3 March 2018.

VAR at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™

The team consists of the video assistant referee (VAR) and his/her two assistant video assistant referees (AVARs). All of them are top FIFA match officials.