The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is nearing an end. So, where do England rank on the list of all past winners of the quadrennial tournament?
FIFA gave Australia and New Zealand the rights to host the ninth edition of its tournament in 2023. It is also the first edition of the competition to have more than one host nation and to be played in multiple confederations. While this year’s edition is also the first with 32 teams.
Each of the previous five FIFA Women’s World Cups featured 24 sides after the first two had just 12 teams. But who are the past winners of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and where do England rank among the champions? There have only ever been four winning nations so far.
Every FIFA Women’s World Cup winner
The United States Women’s National Team are the most successful side in the history of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The USWNT are four-time winners of the quadrennial competition but they exited the 2023 edition in the Round of 16 after losing 5-4 on penalties to Sweden.
1991 Women’s World Cup winner: USA (beat Norway 2-1 in the final)
1995 Women’s World Cup winner: Norway (beat Germany 2-0 in the final)
1999 Women’s World Cup winner: USA (beat China 5-4 on penalties in the final)
2003 Women’s World Cup winner: Germany (beat Sweden 2-1 via golden goal in the final)
2007 Women’s World Cup winner: Germany (beat Brazil 2-0 in the final)
2011 Women’s World Cup winner: Japan (beat the USA 3-1 on penalties in the final)
2015 Women’s World Cup winner: USA (beat Japan 5-2 in the final)
2019 Women’s World Cup winner: USA (beat the Netherlands 2-0 in the final)
What is England’s closest finish to winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup?
England have played in six editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup but were not among the past winners before the 2023 competition. The Lionesses first contested the tournament at Sweden 1995. They failed to qualify for the inaugural tournament held in China during 1991.
Two Women’s World Cups in the US during 1999 and 2003 passed before England returned at China 2007, as well. But the Lionesses have played at each Women’s World Cup since and England recorded their closest finish yet to winning a maiden FIFA title during Canada 2015.
England reached the quarter-finals at Sweden 1995, China 2007 and Germany 2011 through their first three Women’s World Cup appearances. Canada 2015 then saw the Lionesses get into the semi-finals for the first time. But they lost 2-1 to Japan, who lost the final to the US.
Germany awaited England in the third-place play-off back in Edmonton, Canada but fell to a 1-0 defeat after extra time. Fara Williams secured England’s best finish at a Women’s World Cup prior to 2023 with a penalty in the 108th minute. It proved the difference in the match.
Another semi-final defeat followed for England at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, as well. The USA took a 2-1 win over the Lionesses in Lyon before Sweden beat England by the same scoreline in the third-place play-off. Both ties saw all three goals hit inside 31 minutes.