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Women's World Cup Betting Guide 2023 | LeoVegas NZ

Women's World Cup 2023 Guide

Held every four years since 1991, the ninth edition of the Women's World Cup will have Australia and New Zealand as host nations for the first time. Keep reading this article for trivia, match schedules, predictions and more!

Women’s World Cup Promotions

Casino Offer

During the Women’s World Cup, you’ll be able to enjoy an exclusive Casino offer at LeoVegas. We are offering players a Deposit Match that can be worth up to $200. That’s not all! You can claim daily Free Spins on your Casino favourites - there’s not many better ways to fill the gap between fixtures!

Plus, when you claim this Casino offer, you can earn a $5 Free Bet to use on the next New Zealand game!

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Live Casino Offer

We’ll also have an offer available on our Live Casino throughout the Women’s World Cup. You’ll be able to access up to $200 extra with our Deposit Match offer, as well as up to 10 Golden Chips to use on our Live Casino games - including Mega Fireblaze Roulette.

Much like our Casino offer, you’ll earn a $5 Free Bet to use on the New Zealand game once the sequence has been completed.

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Note: Both offers will go live on the 20th of July at 10:00 NZT - be sure to check them!

Table of Content:

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History of the Women's World Cup

The original Women’s World Cup debuted in 1991 - a 12-team tournament which was won by the United States. Since 1991, the number of teams that compete in the tournament has expanded from 12 teams (1991 and 1995), to 16 teams (1999-2015), runner up to 24 teams (2015-2023), before finally becoming a 32-team tournament that follows the traditional World Cup format.

United States are the most successful team in the competition's history, registering four wins in eight appearances. Other nations such as Germany (twice), Japan, and Norway have lifted the most prestigious trophy in women’s football.

Despite America’s dominance, the record goalscorer in Women’s World Cup history hails from Brazil. The legendary Marta has scored 17 goals in total, and she’ll be able to add to this in Australia and New Zealand this summer.

Unfortunately, New Zealand themselves hasn’t had the best record on the world’s stage. The Football Ferns have qualified for five tournaments - excluding the 2023 World Cup - but have never made it past the group stages.

Teams and Qualification Process

32 teams in eight groups are heading to Australia and New Zealand to fight for the title of ‘world champions’. The field of contenders is made up of 11 teams from Europe, six squads from Asia, four from Africa and CONCACAF, as well as three from South America and the inter-confederation play-offs.

The most notable name in the tournament are the back-to-back World Cup champions, the United States of America. With headline players such as Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, the States look prepared to win a fifth tournament. USA breezed through CONCACAF qualifying with a faultless record, eventually being joined by Jamaica, Haiti, and Canada. The USA are the defending champions and are looking to become the first team in the competition's history to win the tournament three times in a row.

Alongside America, all eyes are on England. The reigning European champions have made waves since last summer’s tournament, but they are yet to win the biggest prize. Other European nations such as France, Germany, and Sweden are all notable contenders.

New Zealand as the Host Country

New Zealand and Australia will share responsibilities on hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The pair fought off competition from Colombia to win the title as host nations - beating the South American nation by 22 votes to 13. It became the first Women’s World Cup to be held in the Southern Hemisphere and it marks an inaugural tournament in the Oceanic region.

Four cities within New Zealand were selected: Auckland, Dunedin, Wellington, and Hamilton. Auckland’s Eden Park hosts the first game of the tournament between New Zealand and Norway, while Wellington Regional Stadium welcomes nine games to the stadium. Both Dunedin Stadium and Waikato Stadium will host six and five group games respectively.

New Zealand Womens Football Team (Football Ferns)

The Football Ferns have come a long way since their creation in 1975. They first competed in the Asian Cup in that same year, going on a remarkable run to win the entire tournament, with Marilyn Marshall racking up six goals.

Since then, they have won six OFC Women’s Nations Cup and finished runners-up on four separate occasions. They haven’t been as successful at the World Cup or the Olympic Games. New Zealand have never advanced beyond the group at a Women’s World Cup and they’ve only made the quarter-finals once at the Olympics.

However, they’ll be hoping for that to improve as they play infront of their adoring fans on home soil. For the Football Ferns to be successful, they’ll require impressive performances from captain Ali Riley and Ria Percival in midfield. The experienced pair have combined for 313 appearances for the national team.

Women’s World Cup Schedule

The Women’s World Cup begins on July 20th and concludes on August 20th with the final. New Zealand will begin the tournament against Norway at Eden Park, and the group stages will end with Morocco vs Colombia and South Korea vs Germany on August 3rd.

From August 3rd, the round of 16, quarter-finals, and semi-finals will follow until the 16th August, with the final being played on August 20th as mentioned above.

We are highlighting some of the key fixtures from the tournament below.

Norway vs New Zealand

The 2023 Women’s World Cup curtain-raiser pits Norway against New Zealand on July 20th. The game is scheduled to kick-off at 7:00pm in Auckland at Eden Park, with Australia’s first game being played three hours later against the debuting Republic of Ireland.

Norway should provide a stern test in New Zealand’s opener. Hege Riise’s side are currently ranked 12th in the FIFA world rankings - 14 spots above the Football Ferns - and boasting an impressive resume from previous World Cups.

A former Ballon d’Or winner will also likely take the field for Norway as Ada Hegerberg returns after missing the 2019 World Cup due to protest. New Zealand will have to keep her quiet to leave the opening game with some points on the board.

Switzerland vs New Zealand

New Zealand’s final game of the group stages will be played on July 30th at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. Because the fate of the group may be at hand, both Switzerland vs New Zealand and Norway vs Phillipines will kick-off at the same time (7:00pm).

These sides have been difficult to separate in the past, with both teams holding a sole victory over the other. In 2013, New Zealand were 2-1 winners against the Swiss, whereas Switzerland came out on top in the 2014 meeting, also winning 2-1.

Women’s World Cup Final

This summer’s showcase finale emanates from Stadium Australia in Sydney. We are yet to know which teams will take to the field on August 20th, but we can almost guarantee that it will be a thrilling affair. The last three finals have combined for nine goals (an average of three goals per game), so we could have another high-scoring closing act this Summer.

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Players to Watch at Women’s World Cup 2023

Sam Kerr (Australia)

Sam Kerr is primed to be Austrlia’s star when the Matildas take centre stage at the World Cup. Chelsea’s leading lady has tallied an impressive 54 goals in 67 appearances for the London club, which has propelled the forward to two Women’s Super League golden boot awards. She may have a slightly better supporting cast for Chelsea, but Kerr is set to steal the show again on home soil.

Alexia Putellas (Spain)

Not many footballers ever get to say they have won a Ballon d’Or, even fewer can say they’ve won two, and it’s even rarer to win the biggest solo award in football on back-to-back occasions. Alexia Putellas is one of those rare players.

The Spanish midfielder has been the catalyst for all of FC Barcelona’s success, tallying 36 goal involvements in just 26 games during the 2021/22 campaign. Putellas sadly missed the 2022 Euro’s through injury, but she’s back to make a statement on the world’s stage.

Alexandra Popp (Germany)

Another goalscoring phenom on display during the summer World Cup is Germany’s Alexandra Popp. The insatiable forward enters the tournament after finding the net 16 times and registering five assists in 21 appearances for Wolfsburg - a goal involvement every 67.5 minutes on average during her Frauen-Bundesliga campaign.

We can expect Popp to play a huge part in Germany’s success during the tournament.

Match Result Betting

Match result betting, also known as the moneyline bet, is arguably the most popular market provided by LeoVegas due to its simplicity. All you have to do is wager on the result of the game - home win, away win, or draw - and your bet lands if that result comes in.

Over/Under Betting

You can also wager on the amount of goals in the game with over/under betting during the Women’s World Cup. For example, if the line for New Zealand vs Philippines was set at 2.5, you can wager on whether the game will have above or below that amount of goals. If you staked on over 2.5, and New Zealand won 3-0, your bet would come in.

Handicap Betting

This type of betting places one of the teams at a hypothetical advantage or disadvantage. For example, when New Zealand face Norway, you could place a bet with New Zealand being at an imaginary 1-0 deficit. Crucially, this means if you wagered on New Zealand to win against the handicap, they’d have to win by two goals for your bet to land.

However, this market usually offers better odds due to its added difficulty.

Correct Score Betting

Correct score betting lives up to its name - you simply bet on what you think the score of the game will be. England beat Denmark by a 2-0 scoreline when they last played, you could bet on that game to finish the same scoreline this year with our correct score markets.

Player-Specific Betting

Now, if you’d rather wager on players than teams, then player-specific betting is for you. These markets range from players to score,number of goals scored, players to assist, and even to players to pick up cards within the game.

You can also mix this wager with outrights, such as the Golden Boot Winner market. So, if you know goal-machines like Alexandra Popp, Alex Morgan, and Sam Kerr are playing, delve into the player-specific markets to find tremendous value.

Where to watch World Cup Women's World Cup in NZ

You’ll be able to watch the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand live on Sky Sports! Sky will have the rights to distribute the entire tournament, from the group stages all the way to the final.

Women's World Cup FAQs

When and where will the Women's World Cup in New Zealand take place?

The Australia and New Zealand World Cup is a month-long tournament that takes place between July 20th and August 20th in 9 different host cities.

How many teams will participate in the tournament?

For the first time in its history, the Women’s World Cup will have 32 countries competing for the right to be called world champions.

How many times has New Zealand won the Women's World Cup ?

New Zealand have never won the Women’s World Cup, nor have they ever won a game. The best result for the Football Ferns was in 2015 - picking up two points in the group stage.

What are the 9 host cities for the upcoming 2023 Women's World Cup?

Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney are the host cities for matches in from Australia. While Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Hamilton will be the homes for any games played in New Zealand.

Who is Favourite to win the Women's World Cup?

Due to being four time winners of the tournament, the USA are favourites to win the Women’s World Cup again. Megan Rapinoe and company are 3.50 odds to win the entire thing again with LeoVegas (Odds subject to change)

What team won the last Women’s World Cup?

USA are the reigning World Cup Champions. The Stars and Stripes were 2-0 victors over the Netherlands in 2019, lifting their second-straight trophy.

What cities are in the New Zealand Women's World Cup?

New Zealand has four cities with the honour of hosting the Women’s World Cup - Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Hamilton.

Will Womens World Cup be on TV?

The Women’s World Cup will be on TV. The month-long extravaganza will be shown on Sky Sports in New Zealand and Optus Sport in Australia.

Who is number 1 in Women's soccer?

The current number one in the Women’s World rankings is the USA. They have won the last two World Cup tournaments and are the favourites to win it again in 2023.

Where in Australia is the Women's World Cup?

Games in Australia will be held across five cities. Sydney has two stadiums that will host games, while Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide have one each.

Has Portugal qualified for the Women's World Cup 2023?

The Portuguese national team made it to the 2023 World Cup - finishing 2nd in their qualifying group behind Germany. Francisco Neto’s side was placed in a group with the USA, Netherlands, and Vietnam.

Is Megan Rapinoe playing in the 2023 Women's World Cup?

Megan Rapinoe has made the USA squad for the 2023 women’s World Cup. The 37-year-old was announced as part of the team on the 21st of June by manager Vlatko Andonovski.

How long is the Women's World Cup 2023?

The upcoming World Cup will last for an entire month between July 20th 2023 and August 20th 2023.

Which country has won most football Women's World Cup?

The USA stand alone as the most successful team in the tournament's history - lifting the trophy on four separate occasions (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019).

How many countries qualify for Women's World Cup?

2023 marks the first year where 32 teams were able to qualify for the women’s World Cup. For example in 2019, only 24 teams competed for the right to be called world champions.

How often is every Women's World Cup?

The women’s World Cup, much like its male counterpart, happens every four years.