The Women’s World Cup is getting ever closer and now we have a group of real excitement to preview, Group F. We’ve already taken a look at the European champions and reigning world champions, but now it's time to take a closer look at a group featuring two giants, France and Brazil.
Group F
France
Jamaica
Brazil
Panama
It just wouldn’t be a World Cup without some French drama would it? Several senior players said they wouldn’t play for the national team while Corinne Diacre was in charge so in March she was sacked and replaced by Herve Renard. If that name rings a bell, he was the man in charge of Saudi Arabia’s men, who beat Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the opening game of the 2022 World Cup.
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He’s not the first person to have managed teams at the men’s and women’s World Cups, Jo Herdman did both for Canada in 2015 and 2022, but he is the first to do it in such a short timespan. If this French outfit play anything like that Saudi team did, with that aggressive high line, they should be thrilling to watch.
They are 4/9 favourites to win the group with Betfred, and will be desperate to make amends after falling in the last eight on home soil four years ago. But they are in a position of transition, with three players having retired in February as Wendie Renard called for necessary changes. Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto are out through injury and although Renard has been reinstated as captain, there is a sense of uncertainty around this side and their new manager.
Brazil are the other big names in this group but they have an ageing squad that is clearly past its best. They’ve finally said goodbye to Formiga, and this will be the first World Cup since 1991 without her - while one of the all-time greats, Marta, is preparing for her final World Cup. They are ranked eighth in the world, in comparison to fifth-placed France, but they are unlikely to get the dream finish for Marta as Argentina’s men managed for Messi in December. Kerolin, who is one to watch, has already said her team-mates are “inspired” to win the tournament for the Brazilian legend.
Elsewhere, if one of the experienced big names slip up, Jamaica could take full advantage. The Reggae Girlz, spearheaded by Man City’s popular forward Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, are thrilling to watch and their games are always packed full of goals. Bunny scored 20 in 22 last season but unfortunately for her national team results haven’t gone their way in recent months. They lost 7-3 to Mexico and 5-2 to El Salvador over the last month, and their defence has been shaky for a year now.
They'll be a brilliant outfit to watch, but could be on the end of a hammering, while the same can be said of tournament debutantes Panama. Las Canaleras made it in through the play-offs, beating Paraguay in the process to become the final team to qualify for the tournament and they are a whopping 250/1 to win the group - which gives you some indication of their chances. They thumped Gibraltar 7-0, but then lost to Spain by the same scoreline, which could be an indication of the sort of results we could see this summer, given the quality of France and Brazil. Ranked 52nd in the world, they didn’t concede a goal during Concacaf qualifying but are likely to find it tough here.
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