WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023
What is the biggest win in Women’s World Cup history?
Four-time World Cup winners the USWNT hold the record, but who did they beat and by what scoreline?
The biggest Women’s World Cup in history is upon us, with 32 teams taking part in the 2023 edition for the first time ever. The qualified nations have been drawn into eight groups of four, mirroring the format that has been used by the men’s tournament since 1998 (which will, ironically, change for the 2026 World Cup to be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada).
Women’s World Cup expanded as sport grows around the globe
The expansion is a sign that women’s soccer has started making much more an impact in different parts of the world in recent years, which can only be a sign of progress. However, with the sport having become uber-professional in some countries but still much less so in others, there have been fears of lop-sided games in the group stages in particular.
Is there, then, a chance that the record for the biggest ever victory in Women’s World Cup history could be broken?
The Women’s World Cup’s most one-sided matches
We have seen some pretty obscene scorelines in the tournament over the years, with Sweden and Norway both posting 8-0 wins over Japan and Nigeria respectively in the 1990s, while Switzerland (10-1 against Ecuador) and Germany (10-0 versus Ivory Coast) both hit double figures in 2015. The Germans had actually gone one better than that eight years earlier, thrashing Argentina 11-0 in China in 2007.
Five-star Alex Morgan in USWNT rout
However, the greatest winning margin was recorded in the last tournament in France, when the USWNT, the eventual winners, ran out 13-0 winners against Thailand, with Alex Morgan scoring five times and six others players also getting on the scoresheet, including Megan Rapinoe.
Do we really want to see another go through what Thailand did that night Reims? Most of probably us don’t. When Spain scored three times in the space of six minutes against Costa Rica and then won a penalty - which they missed - moments later, it appeared as if we might be set for our first rout of the tournament. But Las Ticas kept the door shut and may well have been relieved to come away with just a 3-0 defeat.
Some, meanwhile, had predicted a repeat of the US’ thrashing of the Thais when Vlatko Andovski’s side faced debutants Vietnam in Auckland on Saturday, but they came up no fewer than 10 goals short.
Will the USWNT’s record victory come under threat at the Women’s World Cup 2023? For the sake of competition, let’s hope not.