The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off on Friday. The tournament is being hosted by France and will include 24 teams from around the world. The teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each.
Following a round-robin within each group, the top two teams from each group and four of the six 3rd-place teams (16 teams total) will advance to the single-elimination knockout stage until the winner is crowned.
The United States enter the tournament as reigning champions after winning the cup four years ago.
However, this year’s field is considered the deepest the tournament has ever had. Nearly half the field will enter the tournament with legitimate hopes of winning it all. That should make for an intriguing tournament in which anything can happen.
So, who are the top betting favourites?
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Women’s World Cup 2019: Team Analysis
SOCCER.COM
Rankings are current (05/06/2019) FIFA World Ranks
United States (Ranked 1st)
Star Players: Alex Morgan (co-captain), Julie Ertz, Megan Rapinoe
Not surprisingly, the Americans are the betting favourites to retain their World Cup crown.
Roughly half the team that won the 2015 World Cup is back four years later, including an abundance of attacking talent led by Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.
The U.S. has so much attacking talent that 2015 hero Carli Lloyd and her 110 career international goals will be coming off the bench.
However, missing is goalkeeper Hope Solo, which could make the Americans more vulnerable defensively than they’ve been in the past.
Odds to win: +300
France (Ranked 4th)
Star Players: Amandine Henry (c), Eugénie Le Sommer, Gaëtane Thiney
If there’s a team in this tournament that can come close to matching the U.S. pound for pound in terms of talent, it’s France.
The French also have the presumed advantage of hosting the tournament and playing on home soil. Of course, hosting also brings a little added pressure, although the French should have enough experience to handle it.
Goalie Sarah Bouhaddi has 140 international appearances. France also has three outfield players who exceed that number, including goal scorers Eugénie Le Sommer and Gaëtane Thiney, who have a combined 131 international goals.
They also have a creative force in midfield in Amandine Henry to help create scoring chances and put pressure on opposing teams.
Odds to win: +250
Germany (Ranked 2nd)
Star Players: Alexandra Popp (c), Dzsenifer Marozsan, Almuth Schult
The Germans will enter the tournament expecting to win, and for good reason. Midfielders Alexandra Popp and Dzsenifer Marozsan are in the prime of their careers and lead a deep and scary German attack.
However, there are some important variables for the Germans. Their defensive prowess for the tournament hinges on the health of goalie Almuth Schult, who is returning from a shoulder injury.
Also, manager Martina Voss-Tecklenburg took over after Germany won gold at the last Olympics, so the team may not be as tactically in-sync as some other sides.
Odds to win: +550
England (Ranked 3rd)
Star Players: Steph Houghton (c), Lucy Bronze, Toni Duggan
English legend Phil Neville is managing the Three Lionesses in this tournament, and hopes are high after a trip to the semi-finals in the last World Cup. On paper, England may be the deepest and most-rounded team outside of the United States.
Captain Steph Houghton and Lucy Bronze lead a strong backline. Veterans Jill Scott and Karen Carney will anchor the midfield. England also has several potential goal scorers with Fran Kirby, Toni Duggan, Jodie Taylor and Ellen White.
It’s just a matter of England showing consistency from one game to the next and having the confidence that they can beat good teams on the biggest state.
Odds to win: +600
Netherlands (Ranked 8th)
Star Players: Lieke Martens, Sherida Spitse, Vivianne Miedema and Sari van Veenendaal (c)
Technically, the Dutch are the queens of Europe after the winning the European Championships two years ago. With the likes of Kieke Martens and Vivianne Miedema, their attack is almost as scary as the United States or Germany.
However, they had a little trouble during qualification and have had some disappointing results since their triumph at the Euros.
They would prefer to be underdogs, but being European champions has definitely created expectations for a deep run in the World Cup that the Dutch will be under pressure to fulfill.
Odds to win: +1400
Dark Horse: Brazil (Ranked 10th)
Star Players: Marta (c), Debinha
Despite never winning a Women’s World Cup, Brazil is not to be overlooked. They will boast one of the most experienced teams in the tournament.
Of course, age could become an issue, as star striker Marta is 33 and veteran midfielder Formiga is 41 and going to the World Cup for the seventh time.
But those two women can still play, and the Brazilians will have the kind of urgency that makes them a dangerous dark horse.
Odds to win: +2500
Our Prediction
Even in such a deep field, it’s hard not to back the United States. Losing at the Olympics in 2016 should prevent any complacency and keep the Americans hungry for a second straight World Cup title.
A potential quarterfinal matchup with France looms and could be the decisive match of the tournament. France beat the U.S. 3-1 back in January, but that was when the French side was in mid-season form and the Americans were in pre-season mode. That will be reversed this summer, as the American players enter the tournament in midseason form.
The U.S. has also outscored their opponents 17-0 over their last four games. Look for the U.S. to beat France in the quarterfinals and proceed to win the whole thing.