Over the past 30 years the US Women’s National Team has been a powerhouse, but things are changing. Over the past decade other countries like Spain and Colombia have passed the US up technically. One reason is because the opportunity for the youth has grown in other countries. In addition to the youth opportunities, these other countries young girls now have pros to look up to.
The biggest reason the US women have been good
Opportunity and a head start.
Back when the USA won the 1991 world cup, Colombia and Argentina didn’t even have a team… That’s crAzy!
USA’s first women’s national team was in 1985, but the passing of Title IX in 1972, which outlawed gender-based discrimination for federally-funded education programs, spurred the creation of college soccer. This helped the sport grow fast in America and gave them a 20 year head start to most countries.
The US youth system has roughly 1.6 million girls registered to play soccer…
In Italy not many girls play futbol… “It’s a man’s sport” is what they say – obviously in Italian:)
In some middle eastern countries females aren’t even allowed to read, much less play sports.
The growth of women’s pro football in Europe
Many of the biggest clubs now have women’s teams…
Bayern Munich, Manchester United, PSG, Real Madrid and many more big clubs have teams for females and they get up to 70,000+ in attendance.
The opportunity is exciting for the youth which means they take things more serious in hopes to one day make it as a professional footballer.
Germany [Queens of Europe] first had a team in 1982. They’ve won the most UEFA championships with 8 [tournament is every 2 years and started in 1989]. They were the World Cup champs in 2003 and 2007.
Sweden is also one of the best European women’s teams… In the World Cup they got 3rd place four times and runners up one time. Although they haven’t won it, they are consistently going far.
Norway has won a gold and silver in World Cup competition. In 2018 they had the Ballon d’Or Feminin [world best player] Ada Hegerberg.
Spain has stepped on the scene these past few years making it to the World Cup Finals in 2023 – first time ever to place top 4! In 2021 and 2022 they had the [worlds best player] in Alexia Putellas
Most world cup medals [finals & semi-finals]
- USA 1st (4), 2nd (1), 3rd (3)
- Germany 1st (2), 2nd (1), 4th (2)
- Norway 1st (1), 2nd (1), 4th (2)
- Sweden 2nd (1), 3rd (4)
- Japan 1st (1), 2nd (1)
- England 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
- Brazil 2nd (1), 3rd (1)
- Spain 1st (1)
- Netherlands 2nd (1)
- France 4th (1)
- Canada 4th (1)
- Australia 4th (1)
More FIFA Women’s World Cup Stats
Top 16 countries in world cup 2023
- Spain
- England
- Sweden
- Australia
- Colombia
- France
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Norway
- USA
- Nigeria
- Jamaica
- Denmark
- South Africa
- Morocco
- Switzerland
* Germany and Brazil usually do better, but didn’t get out of the group stage this time.
South American futbol in the women’s game
Brazil has always been a strong women’s football nation… Brazil was Latin America’s first country to legally recognize futebol feminino [women’s football].
Since 1991 they have been champions of the Copa America Femenina [South American Cup] every time except 2006 where they were runners up. Note: This is every 4 years.
You could call them the Queens of South America…
With players like Marta who played in 5 World Cups and in most peoples minds is the all time best female player to ever play the game.
Brazil’s WC placings:
- 1991 and 1995 group stage
- 1999 third place
- 2003 Quarter-finals
- 2007 Runners up
- 2011 Quarter-finals
- 2015 and 2019 round of 16
- 2023 group stage
Colombia in the 2023 World Cup looked amazing!
They made it to the Quarter Final’s losing to England 2-1. By far one of the best teams in the world, not only because of how they placed, but how they played.
In 2023 the young 18 year old Linda Caicedo lit up the scene… An absolute complete player [athletic, skillful & smart].
Colombia didn’t even have a team in 1995…
- 1999, 2003 and 2007 they didn’t qualify for WC.
- 2011 group stage
- 2015 round of 16
- 2019 didn’t qualify
- 2023 Quarter-finals
Argentina is similar to Colombia in that they are still a young women’s football nation, as they didn’t even have a team in 1991.
- 1995 and 1999 didn’t qualify
- 2003 and 2007 round of 16
- 2011 and 2015 didn’t qualify
- 2019 and 2023 group stage
Best women’s football in Asia
China has the most AFC Women’s Asian Cup championships, which are every 2 years.
From 1986 – 1999 China won every title.
Japan has won 2 of the last 3 in 2014 and 2018.
Australia won it in 2010.
North Korea won 3 titles back in 2001, ’03 and ’08 but since then, have either been banned, didn’t qualify or didn’t enter. Their extreme communist leadership is holding the nation back in more ways than soccer.
Women’s football history in Africa
The best African nation is Nigeria… In the 2023 world cup they played 4 matches, with 1 win, 3 ties, although lost to England in a shoot-out, who BTW made it all the way to the finals.
Should note that Nigeria’s coach [2020 – 2023] was the legend Randy Waldrum who has success everywhere he goes [pro to college].
Nigeria has won the African Cup of Nations 11 out of 14 times, dating back to 1991. Competition is every 2 years.
Equatorial Guinea has won the Africans cup 2 times [2008, 2012]. Although, they have only qualified for the World Cup 1 time.
South Africa has 1 African Cup title [2022]. Didn’t qualify for the World Cup until 2019 [group stage] and 2023 [round of 16].
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