The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is less than two months away. It will be an exciting tournament and is shaping up to be a diverse tournament. Diverse in the sense of more teams participating in the quadrennial event. It will be the first time since its inception in 1991 that the tourney will have 32 teams.

It comes in the wake of FIFA’s mission to include more nations and spread women’s soccer. And it looks like the soccer governing body has succeeded in its mission, as eight countries are making their World Cup debuts this year. Let us dive deeper and take a comprehensive look at the debutants traveling to Australia and New Zealand.

Haiti

Their route to the first World Cup wasn’t easy. Les Grenadieres, ranked 55th, finished third in the CONCACAF Women’s Championship. It helped them to get a place in the inter-federation playoff with Senegal and Chile. They beat Senegal 4-0, and then a gritty 2-1 win over Chile gave them their first-ever qualification. 

The team coached by Nicolos Delepine will bank on 19-year-old starlet Melchie Dumornay in the World Cup. Dumornay scored both goals in the game against Chile. Haiti is in Group D with England, Denmark, and China. They will play their first-ever World Cup game against Euro Champions England on July 22 at Lang Park, Brisbane.

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Morocco

The African nation ranked 76th wanted to make huge strides in women’s soccer. Their appointment of 2018, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach winner Reynald Pedros was a testament to their ambition. The French coach won multiple trophies with Olympique Lyon women’s team and took Morocco to the 2022 CAF Women’s AFCON final. 

They finished runners-up, but it guaranteed the team its first-ever World Cup appearance. Ghizlane Chebbak will be their key player. They will go head-to-head against Germany, Colombia, and South Korea in Group H. Morocco will open their World Cup campaign against Germany at AAMI Park, Melbourne, on July 24.

Panama

Las Canaleras booked their ticket to Australia and New Zealand by winning the inter-confederation playoff final 1-0 against Paraguay. They narrowly missed out on the 2019 World Cup after losing to Jamaica in the third-place playoff of the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship.

Panama will have a chance to have their revenge on Jamaica, as both are in Group F with France and Brazil. Las Canaleras will play their first-ever World Cup game against Brazil at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, on July 24. The team coached by Ignacio Quintana will bank on Marta Cox for an inspiring performance to create a miracle on their World Cup debut.

Philippines

The Southeast nation, currently ranked 53rd, started to make strides in women’s soccer in the late 2010s. It was evident from their sixth-place finish in the 2018 AFC Women’s Asia Cup. Four years later, they reached the semifinal of the 2022 AFC Women’s Asia Cup under Alen Stajcic, meaning they booked their spot for the first time in the World Cup.

Thanai Annis has been their key player, and Stajcic will hope she keeps up her performances in the pinnacle soccer event. Filipinas are in Group A with the co-host New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland. They will play their opening fixture against Switzerland at Dunedin Stadium on July 21.

Portugal

Ranked 22nd, the Portuguese never made it to the big stage until 2017. It is hard work put in by coach Francisco Neto since 2014, and Portugal is reaping the rewards. He took them to their first-ever big tournament, Euro 2017, and again in 2022. Portugal rode on key players like Carolina Mendes and Dolores Silva to make it to their maiden World Cup appearance.

They beat Cameron 2-1 in the inter-confederation playoff final to book their tickets to Australia and New Zealand. However, it won’t be an easy debut, as they are in Group E with reigning champions USWNT and the last edition’s finalist, the Netherlands.

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Another debutant, Vietnam, rounds the group. Portugal will open their campaign against the Netherlands at Dunedin Stadium on July 23.

Republic of Ireland

The 23rd-ranked team has made immense progress in women’s soccer under Vera Pauw. Their captain and Arsenal superstar Katie McCabe has played a significant role in their qualification. They booked their first ticket to the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Scotland in the European playoff. 

Their rise is sensational, irrespective of the fact that they never qualified for Euro Championship. Ireland will kick off their campaign against co-host Australia at Stadium Australia, Sydney, on July 20. Canada and Nigeria round off the Group B.

Vietnam

Vietnam is making strides in women’s soccer recently. They become the second Asian debutants by beating Chinese Taipei and Thailand in the inter-confederation playoff finals. The team has been consistently in the top six in recent years. Additional places in AFC for World Cup qualification helped them achieve their biggest dream.

Coached by Mai Duc Chung, the team will look to Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung for inspiration. Vietnam, ranked 34th, is in Group E with USWNT, the Netherlands, and fellow debutants Portugal. They start their World Cup campaign against USWNT at Eden Park, Auckland, on July 22.

Zambia

After Morocco, Zambia becomes the second African debutant for the quadrennial event taking place in Australia and New Zealand. The 81st-ranked team booked their ticket by qualifying for the semifinal of CAF Women’s AFCON 2022. Their steady progress since their 2014 appearance in CAF Women’s AFCON has helped them to reach the World Cup.

The side coached by Bruce Mwape will bank on their superstar Lushomo Mweemba for a massive performance. Zambia is in Group C with Spain, Costa Rica, and Japan. They kick off their maiden World Cup campaign against Japan at Waikato Stadium on July 22.

With eight debutants ready to make their mark on the world stage, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 promises to be memorable. We can safely say FIFA has succeeded in taking steps to bring diversity to women’s soccer. Regardless of the outcome, hard work and dedication have brought the debutants to the world stage. It will help the progress of women’s soccer in those countries.

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Which debutant are you supporting in this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup?