The eighth edition of the Fifa Women’s World Cup takes places on Friday with the latest edition to be held in France.
Twenty four nations will battle each other for the trophy in nine cities across the country that will see a total of 52 games being played.
Hosts France will take on South Korea in the opener with the final set to be held at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in Lyon on July 7.
Read - From France’s Eugenie Le Sommer to Brazil legend Marta, players to keep an eye on
Among the 24 teams competing - Nine are from Uefa, five from AFC while CAF, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL have three each. New Zealand are the only side representing the OFC.
Chile, Scotland, South Africa, and Jamaica are the four teams that will be making their debut this year.
Leading goalscorers
Marta, six-time winner of the World Player of the Year title continues to lead the charts with 15 goals to her name in the competition. Among the current players, Canada striker Christine Sinclair is closest to her with nine goals.
| Name | Goals |
|---|---|
| Marta (Brazil) | 15 |
| Birgin Prinz (Germany) | 14 |
| Abby Wambach (USA) | 14 |
| Michelle Akers (USA) | 12 |
| Sun Wen (China) | 11 |
| Bettina Weigmann (Germany) | 11 |
| Ann Kristin Aarones (Norway) | 10 |
| Heidi Mohr (Germany) | 10 |
| Linda Medalen (Norway) | 9 |
| Hege Riise (Norway) | 9 |
| Christine Sinclair (Canada) | 9 |
Past history
No other side has won more titles than USA, who have won it on three occasions. They are the defending champions after beating Japan 5-2 in the 2015 final. USA have made it to the finals a record four times and have finished at least third in each of the previous seven editions.
Germany has lifted the trophy twice while Japan and Norway have one title each to their name. Teams like Brazil, China, and Sweden have all appeared in one final but have never managed to win.
| Edition | Winners | Runners-up | Third place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | USA | Norway | Sweden |
| 1995 | Norway | Germany | USA |
| 1999 | USA | China | Brazil |
| 2003 | Germany | Sweden | USA |
| 2007 | Germany | Brazil | USA |
| 2011 | Japan | USA | Sweden |
| 2015 | USA | Japan | England |
Other statistics
- The USA have won 33 of their 43 World Cup matches – more than any other team.
- Brazil’s 41-year-old midfielder Formiga will become the oldest player to feature at a World Cup if she makes an appearance for her team in this tournament.
- USA’s Kristine Lilly has made 30 appearances in the World Cup, most of any player.
- Hosts France are looking to become just the second nation to win a Women’s World Cup or even reach the final after USA.
- 73 players appearing in the World Cup play for clubs in USA, the most of any nation. Spain is second with 52 players.
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