The original FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy will be received by Nigeria, the dominant force in African women’s football, as it arrives by train in Abuja on Sunday.
The Trophy has already departed from FIFA’s headquarters and has traveled to a number of nations. On Saturday evening, it will arrive in Nigeria, one of only seven nations to have competed in each edition of the championship.
The Trophy will travel to all 32 countries competing in this year’s finals, with Nigeria serving as the ninth stop on the game-changing global tour.
Only Nigeria, the United States, Norway, Germany, Brazil, Japan, and Sweden have competed in every edition of FIFA’s women’s flagship tournament since its inception 32 years ago.
All seven nations will be on display again at the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from July 20 to August 20 this year.
The one-month championship Down Underwill be the biggest in the history of the competition, as it welcomes 32 teams – the same number as featured in the men’s World Cup in Qatar late last year.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup was launched as a 12-team tournament in China in 1991, and stayed on that number for the championship in Sweden in 1995. It became a 16-nation tournament in the USA in 1999 and 2003 and was also the same number for China in 2007 and Germany in 2011.
It became a 24-team tournament in Canada in 2015 and remained that way at the last competition in France in 2019.
Only four countries have won the glittering trophy: USA, Germany, Norway and Japan. USA have been victorious on four occasions and Germany have lifted it twice. Japan and Norway were champions once each.
Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco and Zambia will fly Africa’s flag in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, with nine-time African champions Nigeria already slotted into Group B which will also feature co-hosts Australia, Republic of Ireland and Canada.
The Super Falcons will play their first match at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup against Canada at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on Friday, 21 July 2023.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup Trophy will be on display at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja from 12 noon on Sunday, with a photo session planned for a number of invited guests.
Before the display, the FIFA team will pay a courtesy visit to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Sunday Dare in his office at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium.
