The FIFA Women’s World Cup is On!!!

The biggest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup is on!!! Featuring – for the first time ever – 32 teams in a new expanded format, this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup promises to be an exciting, electrifying experience. With more games, more goals, more action, more country participation, more viewers and more tickets sold!

This will be the first time ever for 2 countries – Australia and New Zealand – to host this prestigious event. It will also be a first time for the games to be held in 4 different time zones, from Auckland in New Zealand to Perth in western Australia.

The format will follow the men’s World Cup program, with 8 round-robin groups, and with 2 teams per group stepping forward to the knockout round. The expanded format has given 8 new teams the privilege to participate in the World Cup for the first time. These first-time participant-countries include: Haiti (ranked 53^rd by FIFA), Morocco (72^nd), Panama (52^nd), the Philippines (46^th), Portugal (21^st), Ireland (22^nd), Vietnam (32^nd) and Zambia (77^th).

The defending champ for this tourney is Team USA, which has won the last 2 editions in 2015 and 2019. A record prize money of $10.5M will go to the winner. And for the first time, the FIFA is stipulating the division of the prize money between the national associations and the players. This was after some players complained that some associations failed to equitably apportion the prize money. For the winners, $4.2M will go to the association, while each player will get $270T each. Even the lowliest players in the lowliest team will receive a cash reward amounting to $30T each.

For the Philippines-own Filipinas, this will be their first time ever to reach this ‘mother-of-all-competitions’. And their fan-base is growing steadily, despite being considered as one of the tournament’s biggest underdogs. It was such a pleasant surprise when the Filipinas – then called the Malditas – inched their way up the ranks, even upending the 2 powerhouse squads in Southeast Asia, Thailand and Vietnam, to win the AFF Championship for the first time. With a no-nonsense coach in Australian Alen Stajcic, the team has grown and learned together by leaps and bounds. Stajcic was the coach of the Aussie women’s team that reached the final 8 in the 2015 World Cup. His vast experience and strong drive has brought the Filipinas to heights never before reached by our ladies.  

While the team is predominantly composed of half-Pinays, some of whom are playing in clubs across the globe, there is a sense of family and a strong sense of patriotism that make them proud – even emotional – when they hear the national anthem being sung before the start of the games. They have bonded together like sisters, and are fiercely proud to represent the country. In turn, the country is made proud by their prestigious achievements as well.

The Filipinas’ glorious journey has made believers of many cynics. Their near-miraculous rise in the FIFA standings is very commendable. They have made many youngsters turn to football, a sport more suited to our physique. They have made us proud as a people. For those of you who may wish to follow the Filipinas’ games in the ongoing World Cup, just download the app: FIFA Women’s World Cup. Let’s cheer for our Filipinas!!! (The Filipinas lost their first game yesterday to Switzerland 2-0.)

Cover photo courtesy of The Manila Times. Other pics courtesy of Inquirer Sports, GMA Network, BOL News, AP News, and Stuff.co.nz. For a closer look, just click on the picks.