FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: when are England’s fixtures? How to watch Lionesses in Australia on UK TV and KO times

It’s 100 days to go until the FIFA women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand and already over 650,000 tickets have been sold for the event with Fifa organisers anticipating they are on course to sell a record 1.5 million tickets.

England are one of the top contenders to come away with the trophy in August following their Euros 2022 success, Arnold Clark Cup win and recent Finalissima win over Brazil, which ended with a nail-biting penalty shoot-out. Their first match after the Euros triumph also saw them beat current world champions USA and with the Lionesses on a 30-match winning streak, it doesn’t look like they are set to succumb to defeat any time soon.

As England take on Australia in their final friendly before the summer World Cup this evening, here is all you need to know about how to follow the Lionesses at the World Cup in July...

When does the World Cup start?

The tournament will start with New Zealand taking on Norway on Thursday 20 July at 8am BST. Australia will then face Republic of Ireland at 11am the same day. The final will then be held on Sunday 20 August with kick-off set for 11am.

When are England’s fixtures?

England will face Haiti, Denmark and China in their group stage fixtures:

• England vs Haiti - Saturday 22 July, 10.30am, Brisbane Stadium
• England vs Denmark - Friday 28 July, 9.30am, Sydney Football Stadium
• England vs China - Tuesday 1 August, 12pm, Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide

If England make it through their group stages, here are the knockout stage dates:

• Round of 16: Saturday 5 August - Tuesday 8 August
• Quarter-finals: Friday 11 August - Saturday 12 August
• Semi-finals: Tuesday 15 August - Wednesday 16 August
• Third place play-offs: Saturday 19 August
• FINAL: Sunday 20 August

How to watch the World Cup

Matches will be broadcast live on BBC and ITV, similarly to the men’s World Cup. Fans will also be able to stream the action on respective streaming services, ITVX and iPlayer and each service will broadcast alternating fixtures.

Who will be in the World Cup squad?

It has not yet been confirmed when the squad is set to be announced but it will most likely take place in the coming days after the Women’s Super League has concluded on 28 May. While the men’s World Cup in 2022 and the Women’s Euros tournament last year both had 26 players in their squads, Fifa have rejected calls for the Women’s World Cup to have the same number and Sarina Wiegman is only allowed to take 23 players to Australia and New Zealand.

Beth Mead is likely to be the most notable absentee due to an ACL injury which she first suffered in November 2022. Recovery from ACL injuries usually take around nine months and Wiegman has therefore said it will be a “miracle” if the Arsenal striker is ready in time. At the moment, she is the only player expected to miss the tournament through injury with Fran Kirby’s return date set well before the 20 July.

Wiegman has a selection headache on her hands, but based on her recent squad choices for the Finalissima and upcoming friendly against Australia, here is who could be in the Women’s World Cup squad for England:

• Goalkeepers: Mary Earps, Ellie Roebuck, Hannah Hampton,
• Defenders: Millie Bright, Lucy Bronze, Jess Carter, Alex Greenwood, Maya Le Tissier, Leah Williamson, Lucy Parker
• Midfielders: Fran Kirby, Jordan Nobbs, Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone, Keira Walsh,
• Forwards: Rachel Daly, Lauren Hemp, Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo, Katie Robinson, Jessica Park