The BetUK Women’s World Cup info pack

World Cup: What to expect

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail, so goes the saying. If you're betting on the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with BetUK this summer, it’s always worth doing some digging. The more you do, the clearer the picture becomes.

The tournament begins on 20th July and some intriguing questions are already on the docket. Can the USA reward favourite backers and triumph with a fifth title? Are the Lionesses adding to their Euros 2021 accomplishment? Will Sam Kerr and the Matildas make home advantage count?

To aid your betting strategy over the next month, we have compiled an in-depth review of past tournaments looking at trends, statistics, and player performances. Enjoy!

Women's World Cup Winners

Most Titles: USA (1991, 1995, 2015, 2019)
2023 Favourites: USA (5/2)

The oddsmakers have this tournament going to the USA, and it's hardly surprising. They have dominated since its inception in 1991, winning it four times and coming out on top in 40 of the 50 World Cup matches they have played. At the time of writing, they are on an eight-game winning streak, scoring 19 goals and conceding just two goals.

They are looking for a third consecutive World Cup title triumph, have a healthy balance of experience and youth with an average age of 29 and have some of the most exciting talents on the planet.

Women's World Cup Goals Per Game

2019: 146 goals in 52 matches (2.81 per match)
2015: 146 goals in 52 matches (2.81 per match)
2011: 86 goals in 32 matches (2.69 goals per match)
2007: 111 goals in 32 matches (3.47 per match)
2003: 107 goals in 32 matches (3.34 per match)
1999: 123 goals in 32 matches (3.84 per match)
1995: 99 goals in 26 matches (3.81 per match)
1991: 99 goals in 26 matches (3.81 per match)

Since its inception, not one tournament has seen the average goals per game slip beneath 2.5, which is the betting line here at BetUK.

Naturally, the occasional mismatch has burgeoned some of these stats. In the 2019 tournament, the USA hammered Thailand 13-0 in what was a galling, and borderline cringeworthy, thrashing with Alex Morgan scoring five of her six tournament goals in the same game.

Speaking of the Americans - games involving them are usually a good shout for goals-orientated markets; they have averaged 2.71 goals per 90 across their eight Women’s World Cup campaigns, including a whopping 4.69 when they won the first-ever edition in 1991 and 3.57 in the most recent iteration in 2019 (for some additional context, England have averaged 1.57 goals per 90 across their five appearances).

Key dates, full groups, TV details: All you need to know about the 2023 Women’s World Cup here

Women's World Cup Top Scorers

2019: Megan Rapinoe (USA), Alex Morgan (USA) Ellen White (ENG) - 6
2015: Celia Sasic (GER), Carli Lloyd (USA) - 6
2011: Homare Sawa (JPN) - 5
2007: Marta (BRA) - 7
2003: Birgit Prinz (GER) - 7
1999: Sissi (BRA) and Sun Wen (CHI) - 7
1995: Ann Kristin Aarønes (NOR) - 6
1991: Michelle Akers-Stahl (USA) - 10

There were no fewer than three top goalscorers in the 2019 World Cup, two of which came from the same team. It's unlikely to happen again but be aware that BetUK will apply dead heat rules, which will divide the odds by the number of participants sharing those positions. For example, if you bet on Rapinoe to be top scorer in the 2019 World Cup, your starting odds would have been divided by three.

Six goals is usually enough to get the job done and US star striker Morgan is the favourite - but we like the prolific Chelsea striker Kerr for Australia. Playing on home turf, she can cause any defence in world football a problem and could easily register a few goals for the Matildas and challenge in the tournament top goalscorer stakes.

Women's World Cup Card Counts

Most yellow cards in a tournament: 124 (2019) Most red cards in a tournament: 5 (1999) Most cautioned team: Brazil (55)

The Brazil women's team has a reputation for being one of the most physical and aggressive teams in the world. Though that perception is easing in recent years, they are always a good bet to beat the card line in any World Cup game.

Fiercely competitive and highly attuned to the, er, finer arts of football, the Canarinhas are likely to see a few cards in the same colour as their shirt.

Most Clean Sheets in the Women’s World Cup

2019: Almuth Schult (GER), Alyssa Näher (USA) - 4
2015: Hope Solo (USA) - 5
2011: Andreia Suntaque (BRA) - 3
2007: Nadine Angerer (GER) - 6
2003: Briana Scurry (USA) - 3
1999: Gao Hong (CHN), Briana Scurry (USA) - 4
1995: Bente Nordby (NOR) - 5
1991: Marion Isbert (GER), Mary Harvey (USA) - 3

The most clean sheets has gone to a German or American player in six of the eight tournaments; hardly surprising with the two teams accounting for six World Cup triumphs between them too.

As the legendary Sir Alex Furguson once reasoned: “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles.” Will his observation ring true again at this one? Four shut-outs tends to be enough to win you the stingiest defence award at the Women’s World Cup.

Previous World Cup Finals

1991: USA 2-1 Norway
1995: Norway 2-0 Germany
1999: USA 0-0 China (USA won by golden goal)
2003: Germany 2-1 Sweden
2007: Germany 2-0 Brazil
2011: Japan 2-2 USA (Japan won on pens)
2015: USA 5-2 Japan
2019: USA 2-0 Netherlands

As one might expect, the final tends to be a cagey affair, save for a runaway 5-2 US revenge thrashing of Japan in 2015.

While there are goals galore during the group phases and some of the knockout rounds, it could be worth treading carefully when it comes to betting on action markets in the final. That said, four of the eight finals to date have featured over 2.5 goals while the same number saw both teams find the back of the net.

Don’t forget to check out all our latest Women’s World Cup markets here