Women's World Cup 2019: Everything you need to know

With the eighth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup set to take place in France beginning June 7, there’s sure to be excitement from all parts of the world. 

Twenty-four teams will vie for a spot in the finals, with only one taking home the championship. Seven countries (Brazil, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden and the USA) have participated in every Women's World Cup, while four nations will make their debut in 2019 — Chile, Jamaica, Scotland and South Africa.

From the basics of when and where the tournament will be to the group stage format and schedule, we take an in-depth look at everything you need to know heading into the Women’s World Cup this summer.

When is the Women’s World Cup 2019?

The Women’s World Cup begins Friday, June 7, and ends July 7. The tournament starts with group stage fixtures across six different venues and will feature 24 teams broken into six groups of four teams each.

The winner and runner-up of each group will automatically make it to the round of 16. The four third-place teams to earn the most points will also advance to the knockout stage and will compete against the group winners and second-place finishers. 

Where is the Women’s World Cup 2019?

The Women’s World Cup will be held in France for the first time and will be played across nine different venues. Seven of the nine venues will host at least three group stage games. 

France edged out South Korea for hosting rights. With the 2019 event, Europe and North America are the joint leaders for hosting the tournament. The United States has hosted the tournament twice (1999 and 2003), while Canada hosted it in 2015. Sweden (1995) and Germany (2011) are the other two countries that have held the tournament in Europe.

Where will the final for the Women’s World Cup 2019 be? 

The final of the 2019 Women’s World Cup will be held at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais (also known as Groupama Stadium), home of Ligue 1 side Lyon. The venue can hold up to 59,186 fans.

The stadium was built in 2013 to replace Lyon's former home of Stade de Gerland. It will be one of the venues for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

What will the weather be like in France for the Women’s World Cup?

While the weather will vary slightly by host city, high temperatures should range from the low to high 70s between June and July. It doesn’t look like rain and/or thunderstorms will play a factor, though that could change as the tournament gets closer.

Who are the favorites to win the Women’s World Cup 2019?

The United States has a chance to reach a historic fourth World Cup championship with a Jill Ellis-led team. The USWNT enters as favorites to win, four years after taking down Japan 5-2 in the final to clinch the 2015 title. The U.S. secured its bid to France with a dominant 6-0 performance against Jamaica in October 2018 at the CONCACAF Women's Championship.

The Americans could face major challenges, though, especially when it comes to the fourth-ranked team in the world — France. Les Bleus could face the U.S. in the quarterfinal stage if they both make it out of the group stages.

Another possible threat? Germany. During qualifying, Germany racked up an impressive 35 goals and conceded just three times. There wasn't another European team that was able to score that often.

Which country has won the most Women’s World Cup titles?

The Women's World Cup began in 1991 and out of the seven previous tournaments, just four countries have won the title. The USA leads with three championships, while Germany has two and Japan and Norway have one each.

For comparison, the men's World Cup started in 1930 and the 21 titles have been split among eight different nations.

#USA have won the 2015 #FIFAWWCFinal. pic.twitter.com/p3EMIUUx5K

— FIFA Women's World Cup ?? (@FIFAWWC) July 6, 2015

How does qualifying for the Women’s World Cup work?

France received an automatic bid as the host country, while the remaining 23 nations qualified through their confederations. Qualifying matches started April 3, 2017, and the final match was played Dec. 1, 2018. 

What was the result of the Women's World Cup draw?

The 2019 Women’s World Cup draw was held Dec. 8, which divided the 24 teams into six groups of four. Nations found out the dates of their matches in the group stage as well as the venues where they will be competing.

Before the draw, the 24 teams were put into four pots of six teams based on their FIFA Rankings. The highest ranked teams went into Pot 1 and then the next six teams went into Pot 2, etc. From there, the teams were drawn into six groups (A through F) until each group had four teams.

Here are the results:

What is the format for the Women's World Cup group stage?

The 24 nations will first compete in the group stage in six groups broken down to four teams. The winner and runner-up of each group will automatically advance to the knockout stage where 16 teams will compete for the title in a bracket style. The four third-place teams to accumulate the most points will also move on to the round of 16. 

What is the schedule for the Women's World Cup 2019 group stage?

Friday, June 7 

Saturday, June 8

Sunday, June 9

Monday, June 10

Tuesday, June 11

Wednesday, June 12

Thursday, June 13

Friday, June 14 

Saturday, June 15 

Sunday, June 16

Monday, June 17 

Tuesday, June 18 

Wednesday, June 19

Thursday, June 20