Four days to go: The 4️⃣ nations to lift the Women's World Cup 🏆 | OneFootball

The Women’s World Cup will kick off for the ninth time down under as the best squads travel to Australia and New Zealand.

Only four countries have won the title before and here’s a look back on the teams to be crowned world champions.

See all of our Women’s World Cup preview content right here.

Norway cement immortality

After falling just short during the inaugural tournament in 1991, Norway came back four years later and cemented their place in history.

Following wins in the 1987 and 1993 Euros (plus two second-place finishes in between), the Gresshoppene came out on top against some of the biggest names in the game. The victory was made a bit sweeter, too, as it occurred in neighbouring country Sweden and, for the first time ever, winning the World Cup also meant automatic Olympic qualification.

Current head coach Hege Riise won the Golden Ball for her performances, while Ann Kristin Aarones went home with the Golden Boot.

But since the glory days, it’s been a long fall from the top for the Scandinavian national team, who have not lifted a major title since sealing Olympic Gold.

Their recent World Cup run has seen marginal improvement (Group stage exit in 2011, Round of 16 in 2015 and quarter-final in 2019) each time around.

With Ada Hegerberg fit and ready to go alongside world class pair Caroline Graham Hansen and Guro Reiten, can Norway’s new generation secure immortality again?

Japan’s inspiration spreads beyond Asia

Another country to also lift the title once did so in thrilling fashion by becoming the only team to date to force the USA to settle for second.

The Nadeshiko Japan fought back twice as Aya Miyama sent the final into extra-time for the first time before captain Homare Sawa netted a 116th-minute equaliser to send it to penalties. Japan prevailed as big American names Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath and Shannon Boxx missed from the spot.

Japan’s run to winning the 2011 title arrived the same year the country suffered the strongest earthquake in history plus a tsunami.

After such a tragedy, their win secured not only national but international joy. During the tournament, the team displayed a banner thanking the world for their support.

As with Norway, the winners also took home both individual awards as the whimsical midfield talent Sawa grabbed the Golden Ball and Golden Boot with arguably one of the best individual World Cup campaigns.

Four years later, Japan proved their World Cup triumph wasn’t a fluke, either, as they again met the United States in the final but failed to retain their title, losing 5-2 to a revenge-driven American team.

Germany stifle American dominance

Women’s football in Germany is all about victory on the big stage.

Alongside being the most successful country in the Euros (eight titles), Die Nationalelf became the first country to ever defend a Women’s World Cup title.

Germany crushed the Americans’ dream in 2003, preventing the favourites from retaining their title on home soil by beating the hosts in the semi-final before beating Sweden 2-1 in the final. Nia Künzer came off the bench to head home the Golden Goal for the Europeans’ first title.

They secured a World Cup first with back-to-back titles four years later by beating an in-form Brazil side. Germany recorded an impressive defensive record too, keeping clean sheets in every single game, even the final as they met a Brazil side that had netted 17 goals during the tournament.

Since the impressive double, though, the Europeans have yet to reach the podium finishing only as high as fourth in 2015. Now the question is whether stars like Alexandra Popp and Lena Oberdorf can take the Euro 2022 runners-up back to the top.

Nobody does it like the Americans

When you think of women’s football, you immediately think of the United States Women’s National Team. For good reason.

Four-time winners, the Americans have paved the way for the development of women’s football over the last 20 years since lifting the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991 on home soil.

However, their dominance has been a slow but steady increase, as the Stars and Stripes waited eight years before lifting their second title. Brandi Chastain’s penalty heroics helped women’s football bloom internationally alongside the talents of Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly.

After failing to defend their title on home soil in 2003, the Americans again found themselves in a World Cup drought. They didn’t lift the title until the introduction of manager Jill Ellis who helped them win both the 2015 and 2019 trophies.

Still, they remained an ever-present side on the podium, finishing third twice and runners-up in 2011 during the shortage. Impressively, the USA have featured in every World Cup and never finished lower than third.

Some of the stars to wear the jersey have secured legendary status in women’s football: Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.

The question is, can they pull off the unthinkable and become the first country in football history — men’s or women’s — to win three consecutive World Cups? It’s a transitional period for the top-ranked team, so who knows?

See all of our Women’s World Cup preview content right here.