Group C at the 2023 Women's World Cup contained an interesting mix of teams, with heavyweights Spain placed with former champions Japan, debutants Zambia, and Central American side Costa Rica.
Despite off-the-field turmoil a few months back, during which several of their star players rebelled against coach Jorge Vilda, Spain performed strongly in the group at first, qualifying with a game to spare courtesy of a 3-0 win over Costa Rica and 5-0 thrashing of Zambia. That said, the European side did suffer an embarrassing 4-0 loss to Japan on the last match day.
That meant that Japan finished top of Group C, winning all three matches without even conceding a goal along the way, whilst Zambia and Costa Rica were knocked out.
The Sporting News has all the details fans need to know about Group C of the Women's World Cup.
MORE: Final Spain squad for 2023 Women's World Cup
Group C standings and schedule
Women's World Cup Group C table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
| 1. Japan | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| 2. Spain | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| 3. Zambia | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | -8 |
| 4. Costa Rica | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | -7 |
The four teams are playing a round-robin format with each nation facing the other three. Group standings are based on points from those three group-stage matches — three points for a win, one for a draw, none for a loss.
The top two teams from each group based on total points advance to the single-game knockouts. If teams are tied on points, goal difference is the first tiebreaker followed by goals scored. If teams are also tied in those categories another set of tiebreakers is applied.
Group C match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, July 21 | Spain 3-0 Costa Rica | Highlights | Wellington (NZL) | |
| Sat, July 22 | Zambia 0-5 Japan | Highlights | Hamilton (NZL) | |
| Wed, July 26 | Spain 5-0 Zambia | Highlights | 03:30 | Auckland (NZL) |
| Wed, July 26 | Japan 2-0 Costa Rica | Highlights | 01:00 | Dunedin (NZL) |
| Mon, July 31 | Japan 4-0 Spain | - | 03:00 | Wellington (NZL) |
| Mon, July 31 | Costa Rica 1-3 Zambia | - | 03:00 | Hamilton (NZL) |
Who will win Group C?
Here's how the odds to win the group looked ahead of the decider between the top two on July 31.
| Spain | Japan | Costa Rica | Zambia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | 1.21 | 4.20 | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | -556 | +295 | – | – |
| SkyBet (UK) | 1/5 | 10/3 | — | — |
| Dafabet (India) | 1.20 | 4.30 | – | – |
| Unibet (Australia) | – | – | – | – |
Odds Updated July 26
Who will qualify from Group C?
With the qualified teams confirmed, here's how the odds looked after
| Spain | Japan | Costa Rica | Zambia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | — | — | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | -10000 | -833 | +1973 | +549 |
| SkyBet (UK) | 1/50 | 1/10 | 100/1 | 50/1 |
| Dafabet (India) | — | — | — | — |
| Unibet (Australia) | 1.01 | 1.02 | 21.00 | 9.00 |
Odds updated July 26
Group C Round of 16 matchups
The top two teams of Group C will the be matched up with the top two teams of Group A, which features co-hosts New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the Philippines who are in their first ever World Cup.
Norway were tipped to win the group but faced a challenge to qualify after taking one point from their first two games, with Switzerland top on four points and New Zealand and the Philippines a point behind with one matchday remaining.
Potential path to final for Group C teams
Women's World Cup Round of 16
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug. 5 | 1A vs. 2C | 15:00 | 01:00 | Auckland (NZL) |
| Sat, Aug. 5 | 1C vs. 2A | 18:00 | 04:00 | Wellington (NZL) |
| Sun, Aug. 6 | 1E vs. 2G | 12:00 | 22:00 (Aug. 5) | Sydney (AUS) |
| Sun, Aug. 6 | 1G vs. 2E | 19:00 | 05:00 | Melbourne (AUS) |
| Mon, Aug. 7 | 1B vs. 2D | 20:30 | 06:30 | Sydney (AUS) |
| Mon, Aug. 7 | 1D vs. 2B | 17:30 | 03:30 | Brisbane (AUS) |
| Tue, Aug. 8 | 1F vs. 2H | 20:30 | 07:00 | Adelaide (AUS) |
| Tue, Aug. 8 | 1H vs. 2F | 18:00 | 04:00 | Melbourne (AUS) |
Women's World Cup Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug. 11 | QF1: 1A/2C vs. 1E/2G | 11:00 | 21:00 (Aug. 10) | Wellington (NZL) |
| Fri, Aug. 11 | QF2: 1C/2A vs. 1G/2E | 17:30 | 03:30 | Auckland (NZL) |
| Sat, Aug. 12 | QF3: 1B/2D vs. 1F/2H | 17:00 | 03:00 | Brisbane (AUS) |
| Sat, Aug. 12 | QF4: 1D/2B vs. 1H/2F | 20:30 | 06:30 | Sydney (AUS) |
Women's World Cup Semifinals
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Aug. 15 | QF1 vs. QF2 | 18:00 | 04:00 | Auckland (NZL) |
| Wed, Aug. 16 | QF3 vs. QF4 | 20:00 | 06:00 | Sydney (AUS) |
Women's World Cup 3rd Place
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug. 19 | Semifinal losers | 18:00 | 04:00 | Brisbane (AUS) |
Women's World Cup Final
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Aug. 20 | Semifinal winners | 20:00 | 06:00 | Sydney (AUS) |