Canada kick off the FIFA Women’s World Cup on their climb to a new summit in Australia

Olympic champions Canada will face 11-time African champions Nigeria in their opening match at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. The two nations will be chasing three points to get a foot out in front in the group standings while tournament co-hosts Australia are facing the Republic of Ireland in the other opening match from Group B.

Across Canada, every match will be broadcast live on CTV, TSN and RDS, with extended coverage of Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team from CanadaSoccer.com to Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Twitter and Youtube featuring the hashtags #CANWNT and #WeCAN. There are 24 Carlsberg’s Official Canadian Supporter Locations at pubs and bars across Canada to support the Women’s National Team at the FIFA World Cup. On the day before each match in Australia, Canada Soccer House events presented by CIBC in Melbourne and Perth will create a vibrant rallying point for all those supporting Canada in Australia.

Beyond their opening match against Nigeria (12.30 local 20 July / 21 July 22.30 ET / 19.30 PT), Canada will face the Republic of Ireland in Perth on Wednesday 26 July (20.00 local / 08.00 ET / 05.00 PT) and then co-hosts Australia back in Melbourne on Monday 31 July (20.00 local / 06.00 ET / 03.00 PT). From Group B, the Round of 16 matches are Monday 7 August (Brisbane or Sydney), the Quarterfinals are Saturday 12 August (Brisbane or Sydney), the Semifinals are Wednesday 16 August (Sydney), and the Final is Sunday 20 August (Sydney).

“We want to help leave the sport in a better place than we found it,” said captain Christine Sinclair ahead of her sixth FIFA World Cup. “I think that for so many years within our National Team, that’s been our goal, to continue to move our program, to continue to move our sport forward. Along the way, hopefully we will inspire the next generation of young Canadians.”

Ahead of this match, Canada posted a 0:0 draw with England in a July training match in Sunshine Coast, Australia following a narrow 2:1 loss to France in the April window. Nigeria, meanwhile, have posted three consecutive international wins since February including a 3:0 win over New Zealand. Canada are taking part in their eighth consecutive FIFA World Cup while Nigeria are taking part in their ninth consecutive FIFA World Cup since the inaugural edition in 1991.

CANADA SOCCER’S WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM
Canada are Olympic champions (Tokyo 2020), two-time bronze medal winners (2012 and 2016), and two-time Concacaf champions (1998 and 2010). In all, Canada have participated in eight consecutive editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ (1995 to 2023) and four consecutive editions of the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament (2008 to 2021). At Tokyo 2020, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team became the first Canadian team to win three consecutive medals at the Summer Olympic Games and just the third nation in the world to win three medals in women’s soccer.

Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Youth Teams, meanwhile, have won four Concacaf youth titles: the 2004 and 2008 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, the 2010 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship, and the 2014 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship. Canada have qualified for nine editions of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (including a silver medal at Canada 2002) and all seven editions of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (including a fourth-place finish at Uruguay 2018).