It’s been less than a year since the FIFA men’s World Cup champion was crowned in Qatar.
Now, soccer fans are gearing up to see teams battle it out for the prestigious trophy at this year’s Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
The tournament is expanding from 24 to 32 national teams in 2023, marking historic debuts for countries like Vietnam, Zambia and Morocco.
Ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup this July and August, here’s a look at the smallest-ever teams to bring home the renowned title:
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What is the smallest country to win a Women’s World Cup?
Norway is the smallest country to win a Women’s World Cup.
With a population of roughly 5.5 million, the Scandinavian powerhouse secured the championship trophy in Sweden in 1995. Norway beat the defending-champion United States 1-0 in the semifinals before triumphing over Germany 2-0 in the final to win the second-ever Women’s World Cup.
Norway is in Group A during this year's group stage of the tournament, alongside New Zealand, the Philippines, and Switzerland.
Has another small country won a Women’s World Cup?
The short answer? Not really.
Germany is the second smallest ever country to capture the title of the total four champions in Women’s World Cup history.
With an approximate population of 83 million, Germany stands slightly smaller in size when compared to the 2011 champion Japan (estimated population: 126 million).
Germany made history in 2003 and 2007 as the first women's team to repeat as World Cup champions.
Germany is set to play in Group H at the 2023 World Cup. Morocco, Colombia and South Korea are the other three nations in the group.
What is the smallest country to make the Women’s World Cup Final?
Since 1991, eight different countries have secured their spots in the Women’s World Cup Final. Among them, only three have populations of less than 20 million.
Norway, the smallest ever country to secure victory in a Women’s World Cup, appeared in the championship match twice in 1991 and 1995 and brought the gold home in the latter.
Similarly, with a population of just under 11 million, Sweden stands as the second smallest country to have ever reached the finals. The team faced and lost 2-1 to Germany in 2003’s championship match.
At approximately 17.5 million in population, the Netherlands is the third smallest country to compete in the Women’s World Cup Final. The team, however, lost 2-0 to the reigning champion USWNT in the 2019 tournament in France.
