Women’s World Cup Winners

Women’s World Cup Winners: A Glorious History of Triumph

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is here, and it’s the biggest yet: 32 teams will battle it out in Australia and New Zealand, with the most prestigious prize in women’s football up for grabs.

The shift to 32 teams is just the latest leap in the evolution and rising popularity of the women’s game. Symbolically, it comes 32 years after the very first Women’s World Cup, which featured just a dozen teams.

Following the huge success of last summer’s European Championships – where fans packed grounds around England and over half a million people attended games – the 2023 Women’s World Cup could be yet another landmark of the game.

It’s the first Women’s World Cup to be hosted in the Southern Hemisphere, and the first to have co-hosts. USA are striving to become the first country in the history of the men’s or women’s game to win the World Cup three times in a row. Meanwhile, teams like England, Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain and Australia are looking to lift the trophy for the first time in their history.

As we head into a month-long festival of football featuring the very best of the women’s game, let’s take a look back at the great teams of the past that have written their names into the history of this competition.

Women’s World Cup: Results Table from 1991 to 2019

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Early Years and Pioneers

Women’s football is now filled with global stars and played in front of packed stadiums at the highest level – but barely 30 years ago, the game was still in its infancy. That all changed in 1991, with the first-ever Women’s World Cup.

Held in China and featuring 12 teams, the inaugural Women’s World Cup was a big success. Six female referees and assistant referees officiated for the first time in FIFA history, and over half a million fans attended.

The USA had the distinction of winning the very first World Cup in women’s football history. In truth, the ‘Stars and Stripes’ looked unstoppable through much of the tournament, racking up 14 goals in three knockout games. Of the 25 goals scored by the USA through the first World Cup, 20 were bagged by the deadly attacking trio of Michelle Akers, Carin Jennings and April Heinrichs.

Although the 1991 World Cup was a success, games were played over 80 minutes instead of the typical 90. That would soon change, however, with the women’s game continuing to develop by the time the next tournament rolled around.

Dominance of the United States

Throughout the history of the Women’s World Cup, there’s one nation that appears again and again. The USA are four-time winners of the tournament, with no other side having won the trophy more than twice.

The ‘Stars and Stripes’ won the very first World Cup and barely a tournament has gone by without them playing a significant role. As well as the win in 1991, they also triumphed in 1999, 2015 and 2019. They were also runners-up in 2011 and finished third in 1995, 2003, 2007. Add them all together and you’ll see that the “worst” performances by a US team at the Women’s World Cup still saw them taking home the bronze medal.

They’ve played 50 games with just four defeats and racked up a goal difference of +100 in the process. With titles in 2015 and 2019 behind them, the USA are now targeting a record-breaking third consecutive World Cup triumph.

Underpinning this success is the popularity of women’s football in the United States – a fire that was further fuelled by the 1999 World Cup, hosted in the country and won by the home nation. Women’s football rocketed in popularity in US high schools and boomed at the college level. Meanwhile, much of the rest of the world was still playing catch-up – and the USA capitalised.

In 2023, the women’s game has never been bigger in the US, as well as around the rest of the world. This summer will show us if the rest of the planet has caught up to the high standards of the United States – or if the ‘Stars and Stripes’ remain on top of the world.

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Germany’s Legacy

Only one nation can even hold a candle to the achievements of the USA when it comes to Women’s World Cups, and that’s Germany. The two-time champions won back-to-back World Cups in 2003 and 2007 and were also runners-up in 1995.

When Germany won the 2003 World Cup, it made them the first – and still only – nation to win the World Cup in both the men’s and women’s game. They did so in superb style, winning all six games at the tournament, including a 7-1 thrashing of Russia in the quarter-finals. Birgit Prinz was the star with seven goals in the tournament, although Nia Kunzer grabbed the headlines with her golden goal winner in the final.

Their 2007 success was even more impressive, as Germany went the entire World Cup without conceding and became the first Women’s World Cup winners to successfully defend their title. Prinz was at it again, with five goals that made her the record scorer in competition history at the time.

Germany couldn’t make it a hat-trick of titles when they hosted in 2011, but with a semi-final appearance in 2015 and a trip to the final of Euro 2022, are Germany on the rise again?

Brazil’s Flair and Individual Brilliance

Brazil have been the top women’s side in South America for a generation, although unlike the men’s team they are yet to lift the World Cup. However, their contribution to the women’s game runs deeper than their single runners-up finish in 2007.

Like the men’s team, Brazil are renowned for their technical ability and individual brilliance – and no one epitomises this like Marta, arguably the greatest player in the history of the women’s game. She is a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, and the first footballer – man or woman – to score at five separate World Cups.

Now 37, Marta is still at the core of the 2023 Brazil side and has been outspoken about her desire to inspire the next generation of great women’s footballers for when she eventually hangs up her boots.

The 2007 World Cup remains the closest that Brazil have come to lifting the trophy, when they effortlessly dispatched the USA 4-0 in the semi-finals before losing to Germany. Will the rest of the team be able to give Marta the send-off she undoubtedly deserves with glory in Australia and New Zealand?

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Emergence of New Powerhouses

No nation has yet come close to the historic dominance of the USA at the Women’s World Cup, but several nations are on the rise and 2023 could be their year.

England will be full of optimism following their Euro 2022 win. Sarina Wiegman has only overseen a single defeat since becoming manager of the ‘Lionesses’, who boast some of the best talent in Europe even without the injured Leah Williamson or Beth Mead, both of whom starred last summer.

As a host nation, Australia look like they could shake up the established order. In Sam Kerr, they possess one of the finest strikers in the game. Kerr captains the Matildas and is her nation’s all-time leading scorer. Her goals could be pivotal in firing Australia into the latter stages of this tournament.

Elsewhere, the Netherlands were the beaten finalists in 2019 and boast a wealth of experience in their squad. Vivianne Miedema will be a big miss as she recovers from an ACL injury, but in Jill Roord, Lieke Martens and Danielle van de Donk they have a trio of talents who have performed at the highest level for a long time.

Sweden have an excellent World Cup pedigree and were semi-finalists in 2019, as well as silver medallists in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. They look ready to take the next step, with attacking full-back Fridolina Rolfo likely to be one of the main creators at this tournament in support of Stina Blackstenius.

Finally, Japan may not be the force they once were – they lifted the trophy in 2011 and came so close to defending it four years later – but are still a team to be reckoned with. In recent years, more Japanese players have moved to Europe, with Man City’s Yui Hasegawa particularly impressive. They will be desperate to improve on their disappointing last-16 exit from four years ago.

Notable Moments and Memorable Tournaments

Although the Women’s World Cup is only just over 30 years old, it’s still a tournament packed with memorable and iconic moments. Japan’s 2011 triumph was an astonishing achievement for a country still reeling from a devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier in the year.
In 2007, Brazilian superstar Marta showcased all her flicks and tricks in a 4-0 humbling of the great United States, although America would have their revenge four years later when Abby Wambach sparked one of the maddest celebrations on record with her 122nd-minute equaliser.

Germany became the only side to win a World Cup with a golden goal in 2003, as the rule was later scrapped. Then, though, if a game entered extra-time, then the scorer of the first goal would end the game right there – Nia Kunzer’s goal was enough to beat Sweden in the cruellest way possible.

For the biggest moment in Women’s World Cup history, though, we’re yet to see anything top Brandi Chastain’s winning penalty and iconic celebration for the USA in 1999. After a tense penalty shootout against China in the final, Chastain converted her decisive spot-kick and celebrated by swinging her shirt around her head. Chloe Kelly would repeat the celebration in 2022 after her winning goal for England, but Chastain’s remains the top World Cup moment and one that inspired millions of young soccer players in the United States and around the world.

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