Haiti, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Vietnam and Zambia are all set to make their first FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances at Australia & New Zealand 2023, with some of them harbouring legitimate dreams of reaching the knockout phase. Yet, if recent tournament history is anything to go by, they will have to work very hard to make those dreams a reality.
While the first three editions of the biggest tournament in women’s football (in 1991, 1995, 1999) saw the emergence of a global hierarchy in the game, the competition has proved unforgiving territory for first-time participants since the turn of the millennium.
In total, 17 teams have made tournament debuts in the 21st century, starting at USA 2003, with none of them managing to reach the quarter-finals in the years since. In fact, only three of those teams have managed to advance beyond the group phase at the first attempt.
2015: A record year
The three sides in question – Switzerland, the Netherlands and Cameroon – all achieved the feat at Canada 2015, the first women’s World Cup to feature 24 teams.
The European duo progressed as two of the best third-placed teams, while the Indomitable Lionesses went through after finishing second in their group, the best performance by a side making their tournament debut of the last 20 years. The Cameroonians are also the one and only side to win twice on their first appearance this century.
Switzerland, helped in no small part by a 10-1 defeat of fellow debutants Ecuador at that tournament, are the highest-scoring first-timers this century, with 11 goals on debut.
Tough out there
Colombia had a maiden outing to forget at Germany 2011, when they lost all three of their group matches and failed to score a single goal.
Las Cafeteras are far from the only side to struggle in front of goal on their Women’s World Cup debut, however, with five newbies all returning home after netting just once at the finals: Argentina and Korea Republic at USA 2003, Ecuador at Canada 2015, and South Africa and Jamaica at France 2019. (FIFA)
What awaits them
* Only three of the 17 teams that have made their Women’s World Cup debuts this century have reached the knockout rounds.
* Eleven of those 17 sides failed to win a match at their debut tournaments.
* The six teams who did win on their maiden appearances were France at USA 2003, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Cameroon and Thailand at Canada 2015, and Chile at France 2019.
* Only one debutant has advanced to the knockout phase as a top-two finisher in their group: Cameroon in 2015.
* So far in the 21st century, tournament newcomers have scored an average of 1.65 points in the group phase.
