Could the Greek national team ever reach the FIFA Women’s World Cup?
Could the Greek national team ever reach the FIFA Women’s World Cup?
There’s no doubt that Greeks are fanatical about football, but insofar as the women’s game is concerned, both the national team and the domestic league still have a long way to go. At present, reaching a prestigious tournament like the FIFA Women’s World Cup may seem like a dream, but with time and effort, the Hellenic Football Federation could eventually feature.
Exciting tournament in Australia and New Zealand
Proving to be a fascinating competition, the tournament itself has already produced numerous unexpected results in Australia and New Zealand, where the quadrennial event is being hosted. When it comes to which team are the favourites to win Women’s World Cup, ahead of the quarter-finals, 3.00 odds would suggest that England are now the top candidates for success, although Spain are not far behind at 4.33.
La Roya will really fancy their chances now, albeit conscious their side of the quarter-finals bracket marks a challenging pathway to the final, beginning with their next encounter against the Netherlands. The Dutch comfortably topped Group E above the United States, who they arguably outplayed, ahead of eliminating Group G surprise package South Africa in the Round of 16.
Despite winning back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2019, the United States were ultimately unable to match the pre-tournament predictions, falling by the wayside in the Round of 16. Marking what could be a dramatic shift in the balance of power, they were beaten on penalties by Sweden, consigning the USWNT to their earliest exit in Women’s World Cup history.
Looking to Spain for valuable lessons
Although in men’s football southern European countries are among the most powerful, they still have some catching up to do in the women’s game, which makes the recent progress of Spain particularly interesting to observe. Indeed, their progress at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup could be used as a good example to follow, should the women’s game in Greece wish to follow a similar trajectory.
Spain only qualified for their first-ever World Cup finals in 2015, having previously failed to reach every other previous tournament. Although that first appearance ultimately ended in disappointment as they were eliminated in the group stages, valuable lessons were learned. La Roja subsequently reached the 2019 event in France, making it one step further by progressing to the Round of 16, beaten by eventual winners the United States.
But solid progress on the international stage has also prompted growth at home, given that Liga F is now considered to be the top women’s domestic league in Europe, highlighted by continental success. FC Barcelona Femeni has reached the UEFA Women’s Champions League three times in a row, landing the title on two occasions. By comparison, reigning Greek champions PAOK FC have rarely progressed beyond the qualifying stage of the same tournament.
Greek investment would provide genuine impetus
The rapid ascent of women’s football in Spain began just over ten years ago, nurtured and encouraged by serious investment, bringing dramatic improvements to the domestic league and the national team. Right now there is huge potential for the growth of women’s football in Greece, but for their national team to compete regularly at World Cup tournaments, that potential really needs genuine support. Only then will the dream become a reality.