The 2023 Women’s World Cup is off to a good start for the defending U.S. Women’s National Team after an opening 3-0 win over Vietnam. Up next for the Americans will be a tough match against the Netherlands on Wednesday, July 6 (that’s Thursday in New Zealand, where the Group Stage matches are being played.)
The world was very different the last time someone other than the U.S. won the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Steve Jobs was still alive. Google+ was a thing. The iPad was a baby. Someone left an iPhone 4 in a bar. Facebook was getting ready to go public. Someone was really trying to make 3D TV and phones a thing.
So, yeah, a lot has changed since Japan hoisted the Women’s World Cup trophy in 2011. (The U.S. lost that final in penalties, for what it’s worth.)
Most of all, though, is that it’s easier than ever to watch the Women’s World Cup. And not just the final, but every single game. And we’ve got everything you need to know about how to do exactly that.
When is the 2023 Women’s World Cup?
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicked off with group play on July 20, 2023. You’ll need to take a little care when perusing the schedule, however, and make sure you’re looking at things in your local time zone. That’s because games are being played in Australia and New Zealand, so the International Date Line could come into play.
For instance: A game that’s being played at 9 p.m. ET on July 20 in Auckland actually is being played at 3 p.m. on July 21 in New Zealand. It can quickly become a little confusing. So the important thing is to look for something that says “your local time.” Both the FIFA and Fox Sports websites show the schedules in your local time zone.
And that time difference is no joke, with the North American athletes essentially flipping their day/night schedules. The good news is that the Americans will have a good bit of time — both in the sense of rest and training — to acclimate themselves not just to the time zone, but also to the weather. (It’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere.) The U.S. team arrived in New Zealand on July 11, departing just after their 2-0 send-off victory over Wales. That game was played in San Jose, so they already were on the West Coast, which is where you’d stage an trans-Pacific flight.
Regardless, it’s one hell of a journey.
When do the U.S. women play?
The U.S. Women’s National Team, like everyone else in the tournament, is guaranteed three matches in group play. The U.S. is in Group E, along with Vietnam, Portugal, and the Netherlands.
Here’s the full group stage schedule for the U.S.
- July 21: USA 3, vs. Vietnam 0
- July 26: USA vs. Netherlands, 9 p.m. ET at Wellington, New Zealand
- August 1: USA vs. Portugal, 3 a.m. ET at Eden Park in Auckland
All three of the U.S. Women’s National Team group games will be available on Fox. (We’ve got the full group schedule below.)
How to watch the Women’s World Cup
Just like the FIFA Men’s World Cup, every game of the women’s tournament will be available on Fox networks. Specifically, that means the Fox broadcast channel, which is available over the air, on cable and satellite, and on almost every streaming platform. The same goes for FS1. Matches also will be available in the Fox Sports app.
There also are options for watching the game with Spanish commentary. (See below for that.)
When are the Women’s World Cup finals?
Like the men’s tournament, the FIFA Women’s World Cup wraps up after about a month of play.
The two semifinals are scheduled for August 15 and 16. The third-place game is scheduled for August 19. And the 2023 Women’s World Cup final is scheduled for August 20 from Sydney.
The final will be another early-morning match for those of us in North America, with the game scheduled for 6 a.m. ET. That’s 3 a.m. on the West Coast.
Who’s on the U.S. Women’s World Cup roster?
The biggest question going into this year’s Women’s World Cup? Who’s actually on the team? The U.S. Women’s World Cup roster is made up of some old favorites, as well as some up-and-comers. That’s pretty standard for this sort of thing, but it’s definitely a different team than the one that won the whole thing in 2019 and 2015.
There are the veterans, like midfielders Julie Ertz (who’s coming off an injury), Lindsey Horan, and Rose Lavelle. Forwards Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan are back. And defenders Kelley O’Hara and Crystal Dunn shore up the back line, with Alyssa Naeher the likely starter in goal.
You’ll also find Aubrey Kingsbury (G), Casey Murphy (G), Alana Cook (D), Emily Fox (D), Naomi Girma (D), Sofia Huerta (D), Smily Sonnett (D), Savannah Demelo (M), Kristie Mewis (M), Ashley Sanchez (M), Andi Sullivan (M), Trinity Rodman (F), Sophia Smith (F), Alyssa Thompson (F), and Lynn Williams (F).
Who actually will play throughout the tournament? Only one way to find out.
What’s the best streaming service for the World Cup?
That’s kind of a personal question. If you’re already a subscriber of YouTube TV — which is the most popular streaming service in the U.S., you’re good to go. It has all the Fox channels — and you should even be able to watch all the games in 4K resolution.
If you’re looking for a new streaming service with which to watch the Women’s World Cup, you’ve got some other options, too.
Sling TV is going to be the least expensive. It starts at $40 a month for the Sling Blue plan, which is the one you want to be sure to get because it has FS1 in addition to Fox proper. Note that you may have to pay an extra $5 a month in some markets to get that local Fox broadcast.
Another good option is FuboTV. It’s a good bit more expensive, starting at $75 a month. But it has Fox and FS1 — and you should be able to watch games in 4K resolution there, too.
How to watch the Women’s World Cup in Spanish
While Fox and FS1 are the main channels for every Women’s World Cup game, there also are some options for those who prefer to hear the games in Spanish. (And we could make the argument that English-speakers will enjoy these more, too.)
On the traditional network side of things, Telemundo and NBC Universo will split duties. And as you’ll note in the full schedule below, every game also is streaming on Peacock (which like Telemundo and NBC Universo is owned by NBCUniversal). But every game on Peacock will be streamed in Spanish, not English.
Is the Women’s World Cup on ESPN?
ESPN may be the world leader in sports, but you won’t be watching live matches on it this year. But that also doesn’t mean that you won’t find any coverage of the 2023 Women’s World Cup on the network.
There are 10 Women’s World Cup specials scheduled for ESPN and ESPN2, starting on July 19 and running through Sunday, August 20. ESPN FC’s Dan Thomas and Kay Murray are the hosts, with former U.S. Women’s National Team member Ali Krieger and other analysts on tap.
And, of course, there will be the usual coverage on SportsCenter and on ESPN’s Spanish-language properties.
Women’s World Cup on SiriusXM
For those who prefer the radio route, the Women’s World Cup will be available on SiriusXM satellite radio.
English-language broadcasts will be available for all games on Fox Sports (Channel 83), unless more than one match is being played at the same time. In that case, you’ll also find games on SiriusXM FC (Channel 157).
The broadcast team will include Canada’s Kaylyn Kyle, as well as Marisa Pilla, and Juli Stewart-Binks.
Women’s World Cup full schedule
Here’s the full schedule for the group round of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. All times listed are Eastern — so remember that the days may not quite match up if you see something listed in the time zone where the match is being played.
Thursday, July 20
- New Zealand 1, Norway 0
- Australia 1, Ireland 0
- Nigeria 0, Canada 0
Friday, July 21
- Switzerland 2, Philippines 0
- Spain 3, Costa Rica 0
- United States vs. Vietnam, 9 p.m., Fox, NBC Universo, Telemundo, Peacock
Saturday, July 22
- Japan 5, Zambia 0
- England 1, Haiti 0
- Denmark 1, China 0
Sunday, July 23
- Sweden 2, South Africa 1
- Netherlands 1, Portugal 0
- France 0, Jamaica 0
Monday, July 24
- Italy 1, Argentina 0
- Germany 6, Morocco 0
- Brazil 4, Panama 0
- Colombia 2, Korea 0
Tuesday, July 25
- Philippines 1, New Zealand 0
- Switzerland 0, Norway 0
Wednesday, July 26
- Japan vs. Costa Rica, 1 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Spain vs. Zambia, 3:30 a.m., FS1, Telemundo, Peacock
- Canada vs. Ireland, 8 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- United States vs. Netherlands, 9 p.m., Fox, NBC Universo, Telemundo, Peacock
Thursday, July 27
- Portugal vs. Vietnam, 3:30 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Australia vs. Nigeria, 6 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Argentina vs. South Africa, 8 p.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
Friday, July 28
- England vs. Denmark, 4:30 a.m., FS1, Telemundo, Peacock
- China vs. Haiti, 7 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
Saturday, July 29
- Sweden vs. Italy, 3:30 a.m., FS1, Telemundo, Peacock
- France vs. Brazil, 6 a.m., Fox, Telemundo, Peacock
- Panama vs. Jamaica, 8:30 a.m., Fox, Telemundo, Peacock
Sunday, July 30
- Korea vs. Morocco, 12:30 a.m., Fox, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Norway vs. Philippines, 3 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Switzerland vs. New Zealand, 3 a.m., Fox, Telemundo, Peacock
- Germany vs. Colombia, 5:30 a.m., FS1, Telemundo, Peacock
Monday, July 31
- Costa Rica vs. Zambia, 3 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Japan vs. Spain, 3 a.m., Fox, Telemundo, Peacock
- Ireland vs. Nigeria, 6 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Canada vs. Australia, 6 a.m., Fox, Telemundo, Peacock
Tuesday, August 1
- Vietnam vs. Netherlands, 3 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Portugal vs. United States, 3 a.m., Fox, Telemundo, Peacock
- Haiti vs. Denmark, 7 a.m., FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- China vs. England, 7 a.m., Fox Telemundo, Peacock
Wednesday, August 2
- South Africa vs. Italy, 3 a.m, FS1, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Argentina vs. Sweden, 3 a.m., Fox, Telemundo, Peacock
- Jamaica vs. Brazil, 6 a.m., FS1, Telemundo, Peacock
- Panama vs. France, 6 a.m., Fox, NBC Universo, Peacock
Thursday, August 3
- Korea vs. Germany, 6 a.m., Fox, NBC Universo, Peacock
- Morocco vs. Colombia, 6 a.m., FS1, Telemundo, Peacock
