England’s Lionesses are preparing to kick off their World Cup 2023 campaign this weekend after jetting to the other side of the world at the start of the month.
The squad flew over to Australia last week and even wore special glasses in a bid to beat the jet lag that comes with flying Down Under.
The light-sensitive glasses, which they hoped would give them a “marginal edge” in settling in Australia before the campaign begun, are linked to their smartphones – allowing them to pick the optimal amount of light for they eyes depending on whether they wanted stay alert or wind down for sleep on the flight.
Sarina Wiegman’s side will fancy their chances this year after their success at Euro 2022, when they beat Germany in the final at Wembley.
But they will likely have to beat favourites USA, who have won the last two Women’s World Cups, the last in 2019 when they defeated the Netherlands in the final.
Nine host cities and 10 stadiums across Australia and New Zealand will welcome the world’s best female players with 64 games split between 10 venues.
The Lionesses will kick off this coming weekend. Here is everything we know:
When do England play their first match?
The Lionesses are set to play on day three of the tournament, kicking off against Haiti, at the Brisbane Stadium in Australia on Saturday, July 22.
Australia will start the competition on Thursday, July 20, playing the Republic of Ireland. They will kick off in Stadium Australia in Sydney and are playing in the 83,000-capacity stadium after the demand for tickets grew and grew.
The Sydney venue is where the final will be played on August 20.
What group are England in?
England have been drawn in Group D alongside Haiti, Denmark and China. In total there are eight groups, these are:
- Group A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
- Group B: Australia, Republic of Ireland, Nigeria, Canada
- Group C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan
- Group D: England, Haiti, Denmark, China
- Group E: United States, Vietnam, Netherlands, Portugal
- Group F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Panama
- Group G: Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina
- Group H: Germany, Morocco, Colombia, South Korea
Why are England without their captain?
England will be without captain Leah Williamson for the tournament.
The Arsenal defender was part of the side that won the Euros and has had a brilliant season.
Williamson is missing the tournament after she ruptured a ligament in her knee during Arsenal’s game against Manchester United back in April.
She appeared to get her foot caught in the turf before twisting her knee and immediately signalled she was in pain, before being helped off the pitch by the club’s medical staff.
How can I watch England matches?
All of the England Women’s World Cup matches will be shown on television, with the BBC and ITV splitting a deal for full coverage.
There will also be full coverage on BBC 5 Live radio station.
England’s first game against Haiti will be shown on ITV and will start at 10.30am.
