The soccer fever that spans the globe continues in Australia and New Zealand.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) 2023 Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand kicked off on Tuesday (July 20). The tournament will continue for about a month until the 20th of next month.

The Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand is significant for many reasons. It’s the first Women’s World Cup ever to be co-located in Australia and New Zealand, and it’s the most nations ever to compete. The previous tournament featured 24 nations, with the first and second place finishers from each group and four of the top three teams from each group making up the round of 16. With 32 nations participating, only the first and second place finishers from each group will qualify for the tournament. The total number of matches has also increased from 52 to 64.

With so many teams participating, the prize pool has also increased. The last Women’s World Cup in France 2019 had a total prize pool of $30 million. This time around, it’s more than quadrupled to $152 million, including compensation for clubs.

“Women’s soccer has come a long way in 10 years,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at a press conference ahead of the World Cup, expressing confidence that “many people who still think it’s not good or not fun will find it fantastic when they see it in action.” “Before I came in, the total prize money for the Women’s World Cup was around $15 million (about $19.2 billion), and now it’s over $150 million,” he added.

Despite the steep increase, some have compared it to the prize money for the men’s World Cup. The last World Cup, in Qatar 2022, had a total prize pool of $440 million (A$560.6 billion). In the run-up to the tournament, the hosts, the Australian Football Association and the national team, called for all participating nations to share the World Cup prize money at the same level as the men’s game. However, it is unlikely that Australia’s request will be realized immediately, given its broadcasting rights and market size.

“It’s time to focus on the positive,” Infantino said when asked about the Australian team’s demands, “I’m sorry if anyone is unhappy, but I’m happy with everything and I love everyone.”

Meanwhile, the South Korean women’s soccer team, led by head coach Colleen Bell, will look to end the golden generation on a high note. South Korea, ranked 17th in the FIFA rankings, will take on Colombia (25th), Morocco (72nd), and Germany (2nd) in Group H. While Germany is considered the strongest team in the group, the Koreans are expected to face a tough competition from their first opponent, Colombia.

South Korea’s first appearance at the Women’s World Cup was in 2003, where they were swept in three games. Twelve years later, in 2015, they reached the round of 16 for the first time in their history with a standout ace in Ji So-yeon (32-Suwon FC). In 2019, they qualified for their second consecutive World Cup, but failed to make it past the group stage. 메이저놀이터

This year’s squad features the third generation of the 2010 U-20 Women’s World Cup, represented by Ji So-yeon and Kim Hye-ri (33-Hyundai Steel), as well as members of the 2010 U-17 Women’s World Cup winning squad, which included Jang Seul-ki (29-Hyundai Steel) and Lee Geum-min (29-Brighton). South Korea.