Group A of the Women’s World Cup is set to be one of the more tightly contested groups at the tournament, with co-hosts New Zealand drawn alongside 1995 winners Norway, Sweden, and debutants the Philippines.
New Zealand secured a 1-0 win in the opening match of the tournament against Norway at Eden Park in Auckland, against an under-pair Norway side who look unlikely to improve on a quarterfinal exit in 2019; despite having star striker Ada Hegerberg to call upon.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are participating in their second World Cup and will look to impose themselves on the tournament after missing out in 2019, while the Philippines will look to pull off more shock results that have seen them rise to prominence in Asia under coach Alen Stajcic.
Will the Swiss or Philippines cause some surprises? Or can New Zealand build on their opening win and continue to excite their home supporters? All is set to be revealed.
MORE: New Zealand final World Cup squad
Group A standings and schedule
Women’s World Cup Group A table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 |
| New Zealand | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 |
| Norway | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 |
| Philippines | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
The four teams selected are playing a round-robin format with each nation facing the other three. Group standings are based on points from those three group-stage matches — three points for a win, one for a draw, none for a loss.
The top two teams from each group based on total points advance to the single-elimination knockout rounds. If teams are tied on points, goal difference is the first tiebreaker followed by goals scored. If teams are also tied in those categories another set of tiebreakers is applied.
Group A match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) |
Time (ET) |
City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, July 20 | New Zealand 1-0. Norway | 5 p.m. | 3 a.m. | Auckland (NZL) |
| Fri, July 21 | Philippines 0-2. Switzerland | 3 p.m. | 1 a.m. | Dunedin (NZL) |
| Tue, July 25 | New Zealand vs. Philippines | 3:30 p.m. | 1:30 a.m. | Wellington (NZL) |
| Tue, July 25 | Switzerland vs. Norway | 6 p.m. | 4 a.m. | Hamilton (NZL) |
| Sun, July 30 | Switzerland vs. New Zealand | 5 p.m. | 3 a.m. | Dunedin (NZL) |
| Sun, July 30 | Norway vs. Philippines | 5 p.m. | 3 a.m. | Auckland (NZL) |
Who will win Group A?
Before the games were played, Norway were heavy favourites to win Group A, with a squad filled with talent in the top European leagues such as Hegerberg (Lyon) and Caroline Hansen Graham (Barcelona).
There was not much to split Switzerland and New Zealand, with bookmakers marginally favouring the European side, while the Philippines are given a remote chance of topping the group.
| New Zealand | Norway | Switzerland | Philippines | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | — | — | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | +526 | -303 | +508 | +33000 |
| SkyBet (UK) | 5/1 | 1/3 | 9/2 | 500/1 |
| Dafabet (India) | — | — | — | — |
| Unibet (Australia) | 7.00 | 1.30 | 6.25 | 101.0 |
Odds updated as of July 10
Who will qualify from Group A?
These were the odds, before a game was played, on who would qualify through the group, with New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland all given a good chance to emerge into the knockout stages.
| New Zealand | Norway | Switzerland | Philippines | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | — | — | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | -111 | -2000 | -154 | +7230 |
| SkyBet (UK) | 5/6 | 1/16 | 4/6 | 100/1 |
| Dafabet (India) | — | — | — | — |
| Unibet (Australia) | 1.85 | 1.03 | 1.65 | 21.0 |
Odds updated as of July 10
Group A Round of 16 matchups
The two teams that qualify from Group A will then face either of the two teams who have progressed from Group C, which features Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia and Japan.
This means the runners-up face a likely clash with heavyweights Spain, while the winners of Group A could face 2011 champions Japan or Zambia, who recently surprisingly defeated Germany.
Potential path to final for Group A teams
Women’s World Cup Round of 16
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) |
Time (ET) |
City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug. 5 | 1A vs. 2C | 15:00 | 01:00 | Auckland (NZL) |
| Sat, Aug. 5 | 1C vs. 2A | 18:00 | 04:00 | Wellington (NZL) |
| Sun, Aug. 6 | 1E vs. 2G | 12:00 | 22:00 (Aug. 5) |
Sydney (AUS) |
| Sun, Aug. 6 | 1G vs. 2E | 19:00 | 05:00 | Melbourne (AUS) |
| Mon, Aug. 7 | 1B vs. 2D | 20:30 | 06:30 | Sydney (AUS) |
| Mon, Aug. 7 | 1D vs. 2B | 17:30 | 03:30 | Brisbane (AUS) |
| Tue, Aug. 8 | 1F vs. 2H | 20:30 | 07:00 | Adelaide (AUS) |
| Tue, Aug. 8 | 1H vs. 2F | 18:00 | 04:00 | Melbourne (AUS) |
Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) |
Time (ET) |
City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug. 11 | QF1: 1A/2C vs. 1E/2G | 11:00 | 21:00 (Aug. 10) |
Wellington (NZL) |
| Fri, Aug. 11 | QF2: 1C/2A vs. 1G/2E | 17:30 | 03:30 | Auckland (NZL) |
| Sat, Aug. 12 | QF3: 1B/2D vs. 1F/2H | 17:00 | 03:00 | Brisbane (AUS) |
| Sat, Aug. 12 | QF4: 1D/2B vs. 1H/2F | 20:30 | 06:30 | Sydney (AUS) |
Women’s World Cup Semifinals
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) |
Time (ET) |
City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Aug. 15 | QF1 vs. QF2 | 18:00 | 04:00 | Auckland (NZL) |
| Wed, Aug. 16 | QF3 vs. QF4 | 20:00 | 06:00 | Sydney (AUS) |
Women’s World Cup 3rd Place
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) |
Time (ET) |
City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug. 19 | Semifinal losers | 18:00 | 04:00 | Brisbane (AUS) |
Women’s World Cup Final
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) |
Time (ET) |
City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Aug. 20 | Semifinal winners | 20:00 | 06:00 | Sydney (AUS) |
