What is the official logo for the Women’s World Cup 2023 and who designed it?

Every World Cup brings with it various aspects which stay long in the memory that are not necessarily related to the on-pitch action. Whether it is a mascot, a stadium, a World Cup ball or, in this case, a logo, the imagery of the tournament can sometimes be as memory-evoking as the play on the grass itself.

For this edition of the Women’s World Cup, the logo is the product of a long and detailed process that has crossed two countries and involved a wide variety of people from different backgrounds. The logo was put together by Toronto-based studio Public Address and LA agency Works Collective, who also had help from native artists.

How was the FIFA Women’s World Cup logo created?

The centrepiece of the design is a football surrounded by 32 small squares, each one representing a different nation in the tournament. Even the circular design of the squares, the fact that they are all touching and close together, is said to represent the values from indigenous cultures of both Australian and New Zealand. Curiously, the colours are not indicative of the countries themselves, but they are taken from the different natural landscapes across the two host nations.

The two patterns at the bottom of the logo, where the letters AU NZ and the number 2023 are placed, have two stories behind them. On the left, in blue, is a design created by Chern’ee Sutton, an aboriginal artist. The design contains U-shapes, ovals, and lines which are said to resemble circles of sitting figures and traditional tools used by women, called digging sticks.

‘FIFA wants to take the female game in the hearts and minds of football fans’

The bottom-right corner of the logo was created by Māori textile artist, Fiona Collis. The traditional weaving techniques of the country inspired her to come up with the unique pattern, as well as the rolling landscapes that New Zealand is famous for.

Alistair McCready designed the bold and dynamic typeface to spell out ‘Women’s World Cup’, taking inspiration form the fearless and outgoing players on the pitch. The tournament slogan also has its roots in this aspect of the competition, Beyond Greatness, something which Fatma Samoura, FIFA Secretary General, alluded to when she said that “women’s football continues to grow and Beyond Greatness, the new slogan perfectly captures where FIFA wants to take the female game in the hearts and minds of football fans worldwide - Beyond Greatness. The new brand identity beautifully reflects the expansion of the tournament from 24 to 32 teams and evokes the colors and diversity of the national team strips taking part in the ultimate women’s football competition. We can’t wait for it to begin!”