The record field of 32 teams at the 2023 Women's World Cup is now down to just two following a thrilling pair of semifinal matches.
This is the point of the tournament when the surviving teams can begin to truly believe they have a shot to win the biggest prize of all, with just one game standing between them and glory.
Spain became the first team to reach the final following a 2-1 win over Sweden before England dumped out hosts Australia with a brilliant 3-1 victory.
The Sporting News looks at how the semifinals played out.
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Teams in Women's World Cup semifinals 2023
Spain won the first semifinal 2-1 against Sweden to reach the final for the first time before England overcame Sam Kerr's Australia 3-1 in front of a packed Sydney crowd.
| Nations | World Ranking |
Quarterfinal Result |
World Cup SF appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 6th | Spain 2-1 Netherlands (a.e.t.) | 1 |
| Sweden | 3rd | Sweden 2-1 Japan | 5 |
| England | 4th | England 2-1 Colombia | 3 |
| Australia | 10th | Australia 0-0 France (7-6 on pens) | 1 |
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Women's World Cup semifinals schedule 2023
With the World Cup bracket predetermined by FIFA ahead of the tournament, each team's path to the final was already known ahead of time.
The first two quarterfinal winners, Spain and Sweden, met in one semifinal in Auckland, New Zealand, and the other two QF winners, Australia and England, met in the other semi held in Sydney, Australia.
| Date | Match | Highlights | City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Aug. 15 | Spain 2-1 Sweden | Highlights | Auckland (NZL) |
| Wed, Aug. 16 | Australia 1-3 England | Highlights | Sydney (AUS) |
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History of Women's World Cup semifinals
In the history of the Women's World Cup since 1991, there have been 13 nations that have qualified for the semifinals.
Until this tournament, the USA had qualified for all eight semifinals, however their shock Round of 16 elimination to Sweden ended that streak.
- USA (8): 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019
- Germany (5): 1991, 1995, 2003, 2007, 2015
- Sweden (5): 1991, 2003, 2011, 2019, 2023
- Norway (4): 1991, 1995, 1999, 2007
- China (2): 1995, 1999
- England (3): 2015, 2019, 2023
- Brazil (2): 1999, 2007
- Japan (2): 2011, 2015
- France (1): 2011
- Canada (1): 2003
- Netherlands (1): 2019
- Spain (1): 2023
- Australia (1): 2023
How do the semifinals work in the Women's World Cup?
The semifinals are the penultimate stage of the knockout rounds of the Women's World Cup, with four teams fighting it out to gain a spot in the World Cup final.
Unlike the group stage, teams are not playing for points. They are only playing for the win to qualify for the championship match at Stadium Australia on August 20.
The losers of the semifinals will still have one more game, as they will match up in the third placed consolation game to decide who finishes third and fourth at the World Cup.
Just as in the previous two knockout rounds, there must be a winner on the day for each semifinal. If the score is tied after 90 minutes of regulation there will be 30 minutes of extra time followed by penalty kicks, if necessary, to determine the team that advances.
How teams advance at World Cup 2023
The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is the first edition of the tournament to include 32 teams from across the world.
All 32 qualified teams were divided into eight groups (A through H), and their finish in the group stage — only the top two from each group advanced — determined their path through the knockout stages.
Group Stage
The top two teams from each group progressed into the knockout stage, beginning with the Round of 16.
The group stage consisted of typical round-robin group play with each team playing the other three. Three points were awarded for every win in the group stage, one for a draw, and none for a loss.
If teams were tied on points, goal difference and then goals scored represented the first tiebreakers.
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Knockout Rounds
Beginning with the Round of 16 through to the final, every match at the World Cup has been single elimination.
Teams advanced from the Round of 16 to the quarterfinals, then to the semifinals, and lastly to the final or third-place match.
As explained above, if teams are tied at the end of the 90 minutes of regulation, the match moves into 30 minutes of extra time followed by a penalty shootout, if necessary.