FIFA Women's World Cup Preview - France host for the first time, Scotland make World Cup debut, England among favourites

France host the Women's World Cup for the first time - the tournament gets underway tomorrow.

Photo from fifa.com

Among the 24 countries taking part, both England and Scotland will battle it out - in the same group - for a place in the Lyon final.
Nine venues in nine cities will host the tournament - from 7 June to 7 July.

As is customary with international tournaments, the hosts play the first match of the competition - they take on South Korea in Paris.
The two home nations will play on 9 June for the opening game for both nations.
This is Scotland's first World Cup, while England achieved their best ever finish four years ago, making it to the semi-finals.
Defending champions United States begin their title defence in Reims on 11June against the 29th ranked team in the world Thailand. 
Tickets for the tournament sold out much quicker than Canada four years a go, with Fifa revealing that 720,000 tickets had been sold over a month before the tournament is due begin.

The tournament opener, the semi-finals and final all sold out withing 48 of going on sale. 

Photo from BusinessGhana

The opening match will take place at the Parc des Princes - home of Paris St-Germain

Of the nine venues, seven will host at least three group games. 

The Parc Olympique Lyonnais will host the semi-finals and final. 

The home of the Ligue 1 club of the same name, also known as the Groupama stadium, hosted last year's Europa League final and will be one of the venues for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Photo from CBS News

USA - ranked number one in the world - are looking for a fourth title. 

Hosts France will be looking for their best result at a major tournament - having never gone beyond the semi-final stage at a World Cup, and their best at the European Championships is the last eight stage. 

The fourth ranked side in the world will hope to replicate their male counterparts who won in Russia last year.

Germany will also like their chances of glory.

The Olympic champions were losing semi-finalists four years ago, and made the quarter-finals at the Euros in 2017, but remain number two in the world.

Japan won in 2011 and were runners-up four years later, while Netherlands will look to add the World Cup to their European Championship trophy. 

What are the home nations' chances?
SheBelieves Cup champions England are among the favourites to lift the World Cup in July.
Their ranking of three in the world - having finished third in Canada - is thanks to wins over Japan and Brazil in America in March.
They also drew with the United States but sufered a disappointing defeat to Canada last month.

Photo from BBC Sport

20th ranked Scotland have gone four games unbeaten this year, including a victory over Brazil in a friendly, before their debut in the World Cup.
It marked only the second Scottish victory over Brazil at any level - following success for the men's under 20s in the 2017 Toulon Tournament.

Which players should you look out for?
Perhaps the biggest story in terms of star players is the omission of Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg from the Norway squad, though some of her fellow Lyon Champions League winning team-mates will be in action - including Lionesses' Lucy Bronze and Japan's Saki Kumagai. 
Fresh from Manchester City's successful season - for the men's team as well as the women - Steph Houghton and Nikita Parris will be involved for England, with Chelsea striker Fran Kirby and Barcelona's Toni Duggan.

Photo from 90min

For Scotland, Arsenal's Kim Little and Chelsea's Erin Cuthbert will be key in attack, with Caroline Weir of Manchester City as one to watch too.

As you might expect, the USA squad have talent and experience in abundance.

Carli Lloyd will likely be playing in her last international tournament.

The 36-year-old won Fifa World Player of the Year and Golden Ball winner at the 2015 World Cup.

Sam Kerr guided Australia to their first Cup of Nations in March as captain, while PFA Player of the Year Vivianne Miedema will lead the line for the Netherlands.
And Orlando Pride forward Marta, who won the Best Female Player Award in September, is the driving force behind an ageing Brazilian team.

Venues
Parc des Princes, Paris
Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims
Stade des Alpes, Grenoble
Roazhon Park, Rennes
Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes
Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier
Allianz Riviera, Nice
Stade Oceane, Le Havre
Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Lyon

Groups
A: France, South Korea, Norway, Nigeria
B: Germany, China, Spain, South Africa
C: Australia, Italy, Brazil, Jamaica
D: England, Scotland, Argentina, Japan
E: Canada, Cameroon, New Zealand, Netherlands
F: USA, Thailand, Chile, Sweden

Fixtures - All times BST
June
Group Matches
7 France v South Korea, 20:00, Paris
8 Germany v China, 14:00, Rennes
8 Spain v South Africa, 17:00, Le Havre
8 Norway v Nigeria, 20:00, Reims
9 Australia v Italy, 12:00, Valenciennes
9 Brazil v Jamaica, 14:30, Grenoble
9 England v Scotland, 17:00, Nice
10 Argentina v Japan, 17:00, Paris
10 Canada v Cameroon, 20:00, Montpellier
11 New Zealand v Netherlands, 14:00, Le Havre
11 Chile v Sweden, 17:00, Rennes
11 USA v Thailand, 20:00, Reims
12 Nigeria v South Korea, 14:00, Grenoble
12 Germany v Spain, 17:00, Valenciennes
12 France v Norway, 20:00, Nice
13 Australia v Brazil, 17:00, Montpellier
13 South Africa v China, 20:00, Paris
14 Japan v Scotland, 14:00, Rennes
14 Jamaica v Italy, 17:00, Reims
14 England v Argentina, 20:00, Le Havre
15 Netherlands v Cameroon, 14:00, Valenciennes
15 Canada v New Zealand, 20:00, Grenoble
16 Sweden v Thailand, 14:00, Nice
16 USA v Chile, 17:00, Paris
17 China v Spain, 17:00, Le Havre
17 South Africa v Germany, 17:00, Montpellier
17 Nigeria v France, 20:00, Rennes
17 South Korea v Norway, 20:00, Reims
18 Jamaica v Australia, 20:00, Grenoble
18 Italy v Brazil, 20:00, Valenciennes
19 Japan v England, 20:00, Nice
19 Scotland v Argentina, 20:00, Paris
20 Cameroon v New Zealand, 17:00, Montpellier
20 Netherlands v Canada, 17:00, Reims
20 Sweden v USA, 20:00, Le Havre
20 Thailand v Chile, 20:00, Rennes

Round of 16
22 Group B winner v third place Group A/C/D, 16:30, Grenoble
22 Group A runner-up v Group C runner-up, 20:00, Nice
23 Group D winner v third place Group B/E/F, 16:30, Valencienne
23 Group A winner v third place Group C/D/E, 20:00, Le Havre
24 Group B runner-up v Group F winner, 17:00, Reims
24 Group F runner-up v Group E runner-up, 20:00, Paris
25 Group C winner v third place A/B/F, 17:00, Montpellier
25 Group E winner v Group D runner-up, 20:00, Rennes

Quarter-Finals
27 R16 winner one v R16 winner three, 20:00, La Havre
28 R16 winner four v R16 winner five, 20:00, Paris
29 R16 winner seven v R16 winner eight, 14:00, Valenciennes
29 R16 winner two v R16 winner six, 17:30, Rennes

July
Semi-Finals
2 QF winner one v QF winner two, 20:00, Lyon
3 QF winner three v QF winner four, 20:00, Lyon

Third-place play-off
6 SF one loser v SF two loser 16:00, Nice

Final
7 SF one winner v SF two winner, 16:00, Lyon

Previous Winners
Year - Hosts/Champions/Runners-up/Third place/Fourth place 
1991 - China/United States/Norway/Sweden/Germany
1995 - Sweden/Norway/Germany/United States/China PR

1999 - United States/United States/China PR/Brazil/Norway
2003 - United States/Germany/Sweden/United States/Canada
2007 - China/Germany/Brazil/United States/Norway
2011 - Germany/Japan/United States/Sweden/France
2015 - Canada/United States/Japan/England/Germany
2019 - France/United States/Netherlands/Sweden/England

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