Everybody’s talking about the US and England, but I believe several FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 sleepers can stop them on the road to the title. I share my thoughts on all of them in this post.
Is there an underdog that’s capable of shocking the world in 2023? Could there be a team competing in the tournament that’s better than everyone thinks? Let’s dive into my analysis of the best Women’s World Cup sleepers.
Australia
- Odds to Win: +1100
- Head Coach: Tony Gustavsson
- World Ranking: 10
Expectations are higher than normal for Australia. They’re co-hosting the Women’s World Cup this year, and the squad features Sam Kerr – one of the top strikers in women’s soccer. The Chelsea star is fresh off winning the FA Cup final against Manchester United.
With Kerr at the helm, Australia has a much better chance of upsetting a major powerhouse. She’s the most prolific player ever in terms of goal-scoring for her country. Kerr has found the net over 60 times during international caps and is still in her prime years.
The game plan for Australia will be to lean on Kerr to deliver goals. She’s a legit superstar in women’s soccer, and her legacy only continues to grow. Adding World Cup glory to her CV will boost her legacy even further.
In terms of recent form, Australia is also better than you think. They’ve shown a lot of promise by claiming victories against Spain and England in 2023. The Matildas have also won eight of their previous nine fixtures.
SAM KERR 🥶
She gives Australia the lead against England 👀pic.twitter.com/iZGuoJa3fb
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 11, 2023
The solid squad, the impressive results, and the home advantage make Australia one of the best sleepers for the Women’s World Cup 2023. The country has the potential to go on a run and lift the World Cup trophy.
Norway
- Odds to Win: +5000
- Head Coach: Hege Riise
- World Ranking: 12
Norway has gone through a lot of ups and downs over the past several years. The team was out of sorts during the 2022 Women’s Euro, and now there’s a lot of pressure to bounce back. In 2023, Norway won just one fixture against Uruguay in February.
And yet, the team has enough talent to earn a spot on my list of potential World Cup dark horses. Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Hansen are quality players that can bring goals.
Hegerberg is the UEFA Champions League’s top goalscorer of all time, having found the net 59 times. She has six Champions League titles to her name, so the winning pedigree is there.
The superstar needs more support, and that’s why the best online betting sites offer a good price for Norway. The team needs to be more consistent for a deep run, but the odds of +5000 are too high to ignore.
Jamaica
- Odds to Win: +50000
- Head Coach: Lorne Donaldson
- World Ranking: 43
I’ve gone through my reasonable dark horses, so it’s time to go crazy! Jamaica is competing in just its second FIFA Women’s World Cup ever. They lost all three matches during the group stage in 2019, but the team looks much better four years later.
That’s largely because of Khadija Shaw, who just had an excellent campaign for Manchester United.
This Manchester City Women combination from Yui Hasegawa and Khadija Bunny Shaw was a thing of beauty. Yui passes it to Bunny in the penalty area, Bunny backheels it to Yui who dribbles and passes it back to Bunny for the goal. Enjoy.
Song: 'Roll It Gal' by Allison Hinds pic.twitter.com/ySpkifFJUo
— Alexis Monteith 🇯🇲🇮🇹 (@AlexisMonteith) March 16, 2023
In 2022-23, Shaw scored 30 goals to go along with 10 assists in only 29 matches. She’s also just 26 years old and already the top goalscorer ever for the Jamaican women’s national team.
Although Jamaica faces tough competition at the World Cup, the team is pretty resilient. Shaw’s leadership and playmaking abilities should propel them in the right direction.
Overall, I think a lot of people underestimate Jamaica. The team could surprise anyone on a good day, so the price of +50000 is a joke.
Nigeria
- Odds to Win: +25000
- Head Coach: Randy Waldrum
- World Ranking: 40
Here’s one of my favorite sleepers for the Women’s Soccer World Cup 2023. Nigeria will try to build upon its success in 2019. They made it past the group stage after four consecutive early exits. Nigeria also recently defeated New Zealand and Haiti during friendlies back in April.
The African country has the potential to be a solid team because of Asisat Oshoala. She holds the key to success for a country that’s shown a lot of promise over the past few decades. The Barcelona star has also won African Player of the Year five times in her career (an individual record).
The 💎 of Women’s Football! 👑
Asisat Oshoala. A Nigerian icon! #CAFAwards2022 | @AsisatOshoalapic.twitter.com/tkradoIyyi
— CAF Women’s Football (@CAFwomen) July 21, 2022
Widely regarded as the best African player ever, Oshoala can score goals in bunches. She can play both forward and midfield, which allows Nigeria to be flexible with their attack.
Nigeria isn’t a newcomer to the World Cup. They’re familiar with the environment and know what it takes to be competitive. Also, Oshoala is playing in her third World Cup tournament. I expect her to use that experience to lead and galvanize her team.
Back Nigeria at Bovada
Japan
- Odds to Win: +3500
- Head Coach: Futoshi Ikeda
- World Ranking: 11
Japan won its very first World Cup title not that long ago, but getting back to championship form has been challenging. The team made it to the final in 2015 but failed to advance past the group stage in 2019.
Japan will have a different head coach this year at the tournament. Futoshi Ikeda took over for Asako Takakura in 2021 and got her team trending in the right direction. Japan recently won the EAFF Championship over China.
The best Japanese player Yui Hasegawa is known for her unbelievable versatility. She can play different positions on the field with equal efficiency. Hasegawa has also led Japan to success in the past, winning the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and Asian Games in 2018.
Japan is a competitive and disciplined team that can win the World Cup with the right game plan. Bouncing back hasn’t been easy, but 2023 feels like a year in which Japan will be in peak form.