The Spanish team already knows the rivals they will face in the group stage of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which will be played next summer. The red team, which started from the seeding pot, has been placed in group C, which will play its matches in New Zealand, and will face Costa Rica and Japan.
That of the Spanish team was the first ball to come out after the hosts New Zealand and Australia. He will debut on July 21 in Wellington against Costa Rica, the same rival against which he made his debut in the World Cup in Canada in 2015, with a one-goal draw. Spain's second match will be on July 26 at Eden Park in Auckland against C3 Zambia, a debutant team in a World Cup and which has never been measured and the group stage will close on July 31, again in Wellington against a strong rival such as Japan, champion in 2011 and runner-up in the World Cup in Canada in 2015, and silver in the London Olympics in 2012.
Divided into eight groups of four teams, only the first two teams will achieve a ticket to the round of 16. Spain has been fortunate to fall into a group that would allow them to play the entire tournament in New Zealand (eighth, quarter and semi-finals) without having to travel to the final, which will be in Sydney on August 20.
The one in Australia and New Zealand will be the third World Cup for the Spanish team. His debut was in 2015 in Canada, falling in the group stage and causing the dismissal of Ignacio Quereda. The team had practically not prepared for the date with friendlies and was the last selection to land on the other side of the Atlantic. Four years later, with Jorge Vilda on the bench, Spain managed to get through the group stage, but fell in the first knockout round of the round of 16 against the United States, who would end up proclaiming champion for the second time in a row.
In this third World Cup event, the Spanish team arrives immersed in one of the worst crises it has ever experienced, with 15 of its best players out of the team while demanding improvements in the team and the departure of coach Jorge Vilda. But the coach, who today attended the draw in New Zealand, refuses to resign, supported by a Federation that has shown his full support.
The draw took place in Auckland, New Zealand, at 8:30 am Spanish time. Precisely the time difference will be one of the great handicaps that the European teams will face during the World Cup tournament and has been one of the reasons why the television operators of the Old Continent have not presented attractive bids to take over the television rights of the competition. FIFA this week urged audiovisual platforms to "pay what women's football deserves" after announcing that they had rejected the offers received for being too low.
In the rest of the groups, there will be a clash between Barça players in group A. Ana Maria Crnogorcevic's Switzerland will face Ingrid Engen and Caroline Graham Hansen's Norway. Both share pool A with hosts New Zealand and debutant Philippines. Fridolina Rolfö will play with Sweden against South Africa, Italy and Argentina.
The English Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh have been placed in group D, along with Denmark, China and a fourth team that will come out of the play-offs that will decide the last three places. Finally, Asisat Oshoala's Nigeria will play against Canada, Ireland and the hosts Australia; and Geyse Ferreira's Brazil will face France, Jamaica and one last team to decide in the play-off.
The one in 2023 will be the first World Cup to be played with 32 teams, expanding participants compared to the 24 teams that qualified until now. And it is not the only novelty of the tournament that, for the first time, is played in the southern hemisphere and is hosted by two nations. Starting on July 20 and ending on August 20, Australia and New Zealand are preparing for a World Cup in which the aboriginal culture of these countries will be very present, as has been reflected in the beautiful draw ceremony, which It has been chaired by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern.
