The Lionesses have outgrown their European home and now have plans to take over the globe when the biggest tournament of them all begins on the 20th of July, the Women’s World Cup.
England Women Betting Preview
For the first time ever 32 teams will compete for the trophy in Australia and New Zealand in a format that will replicate the men’s World Cup last year. England have been dealt some big injury blows with captain Leah Williamson and playmakers Fran Kirby and Beth Mead sidelined through injury.
How will Sarina Weigman’s injury depleted side fare in this new format, and is this team as strong as the one that won the Euro’s 12 months ago? I will divulge through all of this in our Lionesses 2023 Women’s World Cup preview.
:quality(70)/res.cloudinary.com/xlmedia-alpha/image/upload/v1650901255/Salesforce_Logos/Paddy_Power/Paddy_Power_Logo_2022-04-25T15-40-47.png){kind=logo}
England to win the Women's World Cup - 9/2
England are 9/2 to lift another trophy
England Women stage of elimination odds
So how far do I see our Lionesses going, I will entertain you before giving you my final answer…
I fully expect us to smash our way out of the group stages with no bruises. Haiti will be a great match in their debut World Cup campaign but should be brushed aside, Denmark will pose a stiff test and China should give us a good game but I am confident of three wins from three games here.
If you think England will bail at the group stage you can get 50/1 but you would have to be mad to take it. Moving onto the last 16 this is where it starts to get interesting. Should we navigate our way through group stages we then enter the knockout part of the competition, where things start to get spicy.
If we make it through to the last 16 I think it’s highly likely that we will meet Canada or Australia, depending on who tops Group B.
Canada won gold in the 2020 Olympics and Australia beat England 2-0 in a friendly in April, and of course that home advantage could be a major factor. So, expect either of Canada or Australia to be a genuine threat to England’s hopes but should they get through that game they then could run into two-time World Cup winners Germany in the quarter-finals, so we are going straight in at the deep end.
Germany are currently the 2nd highest ranked team in Women’s football and we all saw how good of a contest they were in the Euro 2022 final.
Should we get past Germany which is asking a lot, we then have a rejuvenated France team on our hands potentially in the semi-final, should they navigate their way through the fixtures as I expect. France have a pretty clear run in up until the quarter-final’s where I expect they will just edge a stern Australia.
This is another monster game with France being arguably the form team in the world right now and looking good under Herve Renard. I have to keep the faith in our girls to do it but I might not have any fingernails left by the end of this match, let’s pray we don’t see another repeat of the men’s semi-final which was played out between England and France.
So that takes us to the final where I have a suspicion we could meet tournament favourites the United States who have lifted the trophy on four occasions.
There will be no team more prepared for a final than the yanks and this would be an absolute blockbuster of a final should it all play out! If it happens to go this way then you know I am backing our Lionesses all the way to get the job done and bring football home again!
If you are like me and want to get behind The Lionesses you can back them at 9/2 with Paddy Power.
England to win the Women's World Cup - 9/2
England are 9/2 to lift another trophy
Stage of elimination odds listed:
- Group Stage - 50/1
- Last 16 - 11/4
- Quarter Final - 11/5
- Semi Final - 9/2
- Runner up - 5/1
Women’s World Cup Golden Boot Winner - Rachel Daly 15/2 with Paddy Power
After a monster season in the WSL averaging 1 goal per game throughout the season and picking up the golden boot Rachel Daly to win the golden boot is definitely a very tempting bet at 15/2.
I expect Rachel to be leading the line and for England to go far in the tournament and she has proven this season that she is clinical in front of goal.
Rachel Daly to win the Golden Boot - 15/2
After a great WSL season, Daly could shine at the World Cup
England Women’s World Cup Fixtures
- Group Stage
- England vs Haiti - 22nd July (10:30)
- England vs Denmark 28th July (09:30)
- China vs England 1st August (12:00)
Lionesses Betting Offers
There’s some great betting offers available for people to use on England games, and others, during the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Intro to The Lionesses
So let’s start with a familiar face between the sticks in Mary Earps who wore the gloves throughout England’s Euro 2022 winning campaign playing every minute of the six games. Earps enters the tournament in fantastic form after a record breaking season which saw her picking up 14 clean sheets, a WSL record, and was a major factor in Manchester United’s highest ever finish in the league (2nd). As backup we have the capable hands of Hannah Hampton who has just signed for Chelsea after an impressive season at Aston Villa and Manchester City’s Ellie Roebuck who has 11 caps.
Providing what we hope will be the same wall that has been so impressive for us over recent years there are some familiar names in defence with Millie Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Barcelona), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City) and Jess Carter (Chelsea) called up again. It’s tournament debut’s for Niamh Charles (Chelsea) and Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal) who have both looked comfortable in an England shirt.
With the injury of Euro winning captain Leah Williamson the armband has been handed to five times WSL winner Millie Bright who was also a key player for Sarina Weigman in our first trophy winning campaign. Four time Champions League winner and 2019 EUFA Women’s player of the year gets another deserved call up and her class and experience are going to be pivotal to how successful our tournament is.
In the middle of the park we welcome back Euro winners Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United) and Keira Walsh (Barcelona). And completing our midfield lineup we have first major tournament callups for Katie Zelem (Manchester United), Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), and Laura Coombs (Manchester City) the oldest player in the squad at 32.
Coombs is undergoing a renaissance for the Lionesses having earned her first senior callup back in 2015. She was part of the U19′s Euro winning team in 2009 but has faced a long wait to feature in her first senior tournament. After missing out on the Euro’s last year and the World Cup in 2019 through injury it is great to see England veteran Jordan Nobbs who has 71 caps to her name.
Nobbs could not have done more to be called up to the side after making the huge call of joining Aston Villa and leaving Arsenal where she had been playing for the previous 13 seasons, all of this done with England in the back of her mind and thankfully for her the move paid off with a great backend to the season. Georgia Stanway gave us one of the moments of the Euro’s with a classy long range strike against Spain in the quarter finals and she is someone that could provide us with key moments in the middle of the park, and is expected to be our penalty taker for the tournament, so could see some high pressure moments.
The world’s most expensive signing Keira Walsh who made a £400,000 transfer from Manchester City to Barcelona last summer will marshal England’s midfield alongside Ella Toone who will play a more prominent role this tournament I expect, after a string of fine performances from off the bench in the Euro’s.
And looking to fire us to glory at the top of the field is a new look attack with Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Bethany England (Tottenham), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Katie Robinson (Brighton) and Alessia Russo (Manchester United).
It’s been a hell of a year for Rachel Daly after making the transfer from Houston Dash to Aston Villa after winning the Euro’s. Since then Daly has gone on to win both the WSL player of the year and the WSL golden boot after scoring 22 goals in 22 games in her debut campaign. The versatile Daly who has played a key role at left-back down the years now finally gets to show off her attacking prowess on the biggest stage.
Lauren Hemp has been a stalwart in Sarina Weigman’s plans since she took the reins in 2021 with only Bright, Earps and Walsh earning more caps during Weigman’s tenure. Hemp’s trickery on the ball will be key and she is one of the best ball carriers in the tournament, hopefully she can produce the numbers her hard work deserves during this World Cup. Lauren James (brother of Chelsea star Reece James) has been a major addition to this new look England side on the right side of the pitch.
Her link up play with Lucy Bronze is a particular area that I can see unlocking defences in this tournament and she can also do a solid job as a number 10 if called upon. Chloe Kelly provided the biggest moment in the Lionesses history when she scored the winning goal at Wembley last summer.
After another stellar campaign for Manchester City this season creating more chances than any player in the WSL I expect to see Kelly terrorising backlines throughout the entirety of this tournament. Bethany England was a part of the Euro winning squad although she did not feature, she could still play a big role if given minutes during this World Cup.
Key England Players to Watch at the Women’s World Cup
Who will star for England this summer? Sam has three names to watch.
Rachel Daly
First up it has to be WSL player of the year and golden boot winner Rachel Daly who was ever present as a left-back in The Lionesses Euro success. Now in a more attacking role Daly will look to showcase her attacking talents on the biggest stage.
I am delighted to see Daly leading the lineup for England having played for the same childhood team as myself (Killinghall Nomads) and also being a sister to a good friend of mine, You will already be familiar with Rachel as the colossus left-back that was vital to everything Sarina Weigman implemented in the Euro winning campaign, but here you will get to see her playing in her more natural position as a striker.
After bagging 22 goals in 22 games in the WSL for Aston Villa Daly could not have wished for a better start to life at her new club. She is firing on all cylinders and is a big voice in the dressing room. With Ellen White now out of the picture Daly has her chance to shine at the top of the field and I expect her to put on a show down under.
Ella Toone
Predominantly used as a supersub in the Women’s Euro, which she did to great effect by the way Ella has now been implemented as a starter after the injury of Fran Kirby. After grabbing the opening goal in the final against Germany you know Ella will be looking for some more big moments on the big stage that she has shown she thrives off.
Fran Kirby’s boots are big ones to fill but Ella is a perfect replacement and can offer something completely different. At just 23 years old the Manchester United player of the year 2021/22 still has the world at her feet and offers an exciting option and now given that starting role we could see her thrive in an England shirt.
Alessia Russo
Alessia is a star and she has been Manchester United’s player of the season in the last two consecutive campaigns. She has also produced the goods for England when given a chance.
Russo averages a goal every two games for England and who can forget that back-heel goal against Sweden in the semi-final. Russo and Daly will be battling to lead the line for England, it remains to be seen whether both will be able to play together or one starts ahead of the other but make no mistake Russo will grasp every minute she is given.
After some impressive cameos in the Euro’s she has been more at the forefront as a starter for Sarina Weigman in the aftermath and she will be one to watch.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/xlmedia/9e8ee607-ffc0-4fa3-802c-bb60c3fb6d50.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/56S6DLBPX5BDZP4V3X7QEIJ7SI.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/UILNXAXIP5HJ7I5XN2SOOXL5TU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/AKNRBJBJH5GV5DXNWMOLG3SSQE.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/D27DLDIXHJHS3FHUU2U3FOISUE.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/BTJTTBAC5VEK3FPFUWW72OCJ64.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/5U4AQ6ZPRRFLTBP6MX3CEBOZMU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/xlmedia/MMRPQAXOMVHTLH5JPJE2CTYMT4.png)