USA Braces for Tough Competition from Europe and Australia in Women's World Cup 2023

 USA Braces for Tough Competition from Europe and Australia in Women's World Cup 2023

USA Braces for Tough Competition from Europe and Australia in Women's World Cup 2023(Image-Getty)

According to Nielsen's Gracenote, the United States is considered the frontrunner in the Women's World Cup. However, their pursuit of a third consecutive title will face a formidable challenge from the top European teams and co-hosts Australia.

Gracenote's analysis indicates that the Americans have an 18% chance of securing their fifth overall victory. The main contenders, with a combined likelihood of 58% to produce the winner, are Sweden, Germany, France, and England.

Gracenote's projections, based on extensive simulations of the tournament, position Sweden as the second strongest contender with an 11% chance of winning. Simon Gleave, the head of analysis at Gracenote, highlights the tournament's highly competitive nature, stating, "Our simulations confirm that the World Cup 2023 is likely to be a very open and competitive tournament."

The challenge to the reigning champions and favorites, the USA, is particularly strong from European teams, while Australia's home advantage has propelled them to become the seventh most likely team to win the competition.

The favorites, apart from the United States, include Germany (11%), France (9%), England (8%), Spain (8%), Australia (8%), Brazil (7%), and Canada (6%), who are the reigning Olympic champions.

According to Gracenote's analysis, the eight most probable quarter-finalists, in order, are Spain, the USA, France, Germany, Sweden, England, Japan, and Australia. The most likely semi-finalists are projected to be the USA, Sweden, Germany, and France.

Among the potential World Cup final matchups, the most probable is the USA against Germany, with a probability of just under 6%. The next most likely finals, in order, involve the USA against France, England, Australia, and Brazil.