Want to know more about women’s soccer before the 2023 World Cup but not sure where to start? Did you watch Ted Lasso for Jason Sudeikis but now you find soccer...intriguing? Here's how to stoke that glimmer of interest into enthusiasm for the sport!
Whether you’re new to the game or are a long-time lover of soccer/fútbol, here’s 23 ways to get pumped for the 2023 Women's World Cup. (according to a long-time American soccer devotee who's beyond thrilled to champion women from around the world competing at the highest level of sport).
Watch the highlight reel of the USWNT's last pre-tournament match against Wales on July 9th, where the U.S. won 2-0.
Watch the roster unveiling video posted by U.S. Soccer, Ireland, France or tap into this thread posting all roster releases.
Test your prediction skills and make a bracket!
Plan a watch party for a game that you’re interested in watching. Not sure which teams interest you yet? View the schedule here. Ask all of your pals to bring food from a country we will see at the World Cup to celebrate different cultures.
Read about countries who are sending their first ever team to the tournament! This is an incredible achievement and we can’t wait to watch them kick-ass (literally) during the tournament. First timers include: Vietnam, Haiti, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal and Zambia. I am particularly excited for Zambia to play their first tournament after doing so well (despite many discriminatory hurdles) in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations - and beating Germany just a few days ago!
Dance in your kitchen to Waka Waka, a staple in any World Cup playlist. You can use this example here to make your own playlist!
Make sure you have access to the national provider who will be showing matches, so you can tune in to the action. If you’re in the US, that means FOX (FS1, FS2) and Telemundo. You can also learn more about FIFA’s negotiations with networks to broadcast the tournament in Europe.
Get crafty and make some spirited merch and/or signs. Check out these graphics from Jamaica’s Football Federation as inspiration.
Listen to a player-made podcast like Snacks to get in the mind of a player or queue up a Burn It All Down episode to light your fire.
Watch National Women’s Soccer League matches. Most players who are representing their country in the World Cup will not be on the pitch, but nothing hypes me up for soccer like even more soccer. Check out which NWSL players are competing in the tournament here.
Follow player’s social accounts or women’s sports accounts on Instagram. Examples include: Shea Butter FC, Diaspora United Podcast, The Gist, or Just Women’s Sports.
Read about the journey for pay equity in Canada and the U.S. from their player associations. Listen to this podcast from The Athletic to learn more about the lack of player representation in their unions across the globe.
Explore the histories of each national team. Here’s a great book about the history of the U.S. Women’s National team that also discusses the history of the women’s tournament (the U.S. has won 4 times)! If you prefer an article to a book, here’s a stellar one by the same author written before we took home the trophy in the 2019 tournament.
Pore over the rosters of every country playing in the tournament. Then pore over them again.
Get outside and kick a ball around. Never played before? Who cares? Soccer is for everyone!
Add this calendar plugin with the match schedules to your digital calendar so you won’t miss a single match!
Donate a book about women playing soccer to NYC-based nonprofit Start Lighthouse to continue their mission of exposing youth “to a world of possibilities” through reading. Yasmin the Soccer Star is a great example of a book that could introduce children to girls in soccer!
Volunteer as a coach with your local youth sports club or nonprofit. Organizations are always looking for more volunteer coaches, especially women! If you need help finding a nonprofit that’s a good fit for you, comment here or follow FundPlay Foundation on Instagram.
If coaching isn’t your thing but you're still hungry for impactful service opportunities, consider becoming a mentor in your community. Nothing embodies the spirit of women’s sports like making your community better.
Buy some merch from the player’s association of your favorite team. Here’s the team USA player’s association link.
Learn more about FIFA’s World Cup legacies in this podcast. And avoid buying merch from FIFA directly, as FIFA was built and is upheld by corruption, inequality and exploitation. Support your player’s association or national team’s football association whenever possible.
Watch a documentary about women’s soccer. Here are 6 great ones.
Lastly, find a comfy place to sit and journal about what sport means to you. You don’t need to write about soccer, you can write about whatever sport or movement calls to you.
Please share this article with your people or any soccer-lovers in your life. Here's to an incredible 2023 World Cup!
Edited by my dear friends Sam Barrett, Jacob Nadelman, Katie Means, and Madeline Goetz.
Well written! Let the games begin!