Fifa drew on Saturday (Oct 22) at the Aotea Centre, in Auckland (New Zealand), the groups for the Women's World Cup to be held between July 20 and August 20, 2023, in Australia and New Zealand. Brazil were placed in Group F, along with France, Jamaica, and a team from the playoffs.
The Brazilian team's debut in the competition will take place on July 24 in Adelaide (Australia), and the opponent will be precisely the one that has not yet been defined. On July 29, the team will play against France, in Brisbane (Australia). Its last confrontation in the initial phase will be on August 2, against Jamaica, in Melbourne (Australia).
For the Brazilian team coach, Swedish Pia Sudhage, who was present at the draw, starting against an opponent not yet defined is an extra challenge: "Honestly, it's a little complicated for us. We don't know the team we are going to play against in the opening match. But the draw is always exciting, and whoever it is, I tend to look at it positively. If you want to win, you have to find a way to win. We have a long way to go as a team, but everyone is excited and the players will be ready.”
Brazil will then play two opponents they faced at the 2019 World Cup, Jamaica, who they beat 3-0 still in the group stage, and France, who eliminated the Brazilians in the round of 16.
Pia Sudhage thinks the game between Brazil and France will be quite different. “The reason for that is that the game has changed a lot, we have a younger team and so does France. I think it will be very exciting. Of course, some of the players, including myself among them, will remember the past game and think how it was four years ago, and how it will be now. But I hope we can create that contagious atmosphere and I believe we will play well,” she added.