Sceptics said the tournament was not ready to be expanded to a 32-team format, but the results show otherwise.
amaica's players celebrate qualifying for the round of 16 after their match against Brazil at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, also known as AAMI Park, on August 2, 2023
Four years ago, when it was announced that the Women’s World Cup would be expanded from 24 teams to 32, the idea was met with scepticism.
At the time, minnows Thailand had just been thrashed 13-0 by four-time world champions USA, and many were concerned the women’s game was not ready for a bigger pool.
It seems, however, the critics were wrong – as this year’s Women’s World Cup has shown.
With Olympic champions Canada, former world champions Germany and heavyweights Brazil all crashing out in the group stage and Jamaica, South Africa and Morocco making history by advancing to the knockout stage for the first time, the 2023 tournament in Australia and New Zealand has been both competitive and full of upsets.
Jane Purdon, director of the Women in Football organisation, told Al Jazeera the expansion to the 32-team format “has been a brilliant success”.
“The reasons are that many federations have increased their strategic support to women’s football. In addition, elite leagues are expanding and growing, providing professional training and playing environments week in, week out for the best players in the world,” said Purdon, author of The Homecoming: The Lionesses and Beyond.
The results have not only silenced the sceptics but also bucked the rankings by the world governing body FIFA, which are typically dominated by the USA and teams from Europe.
According to Lisa Neirotti, associate professor and director at the Sports Management Programs at George Washington University, the accuracy of the rankings could be skewed because some of the low-ranked teams do not play as many games as other teams.
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