As we draw closer to the 2023 Women’s World Cup, there is one question on everyone’s mind – who are the favourites to take home the trophy?

Moreover – how will the Lionesses do at the tournament, following their heroic 2022 Women’s Euros campaign? The field is currently wide open – there are several teams in with a shout of winning.

The last tournament, which took place in 2019, was won by the USA. Plenty of strong sides will be looking to throw their hat into the ring – can they retain their crown?

Which team is most likely to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup?

On paper, England have perhaps the strongest squad – the Lionesses can also boast a wealth of recent pedigree, having won the 2023 Arnold Clark Cup and the 2023 Women’s Finalissima (beating Brazil on penalties).

Despite this, England’s options are currently limited due to various injuries. Two key players, the talismanic Beth Mead and captain Leah Williamson, will not be available due to injury.

While England can still field a very strong team regardless of these injuries, the USA does not currently have these problems. They recently won the 2023 SheBelieves cup in dominant fashion – with players such as Lindsey Horan, Lynn Williams and the mercurial Alex Morgan in their squad, the Stars and Stripes must be considered favourites.

They are also favourites with the bookmakers as things stand. According to Oddschecker, the USA have odds of 11/4 to win the World Cup, while England currently stand at 4/1.

Who else can be considered strong contenders?

Brazil are in a strong position heading into the 2023 World Cup. Despite being defeated by England earlier in the year, they ran the Lionesses very close and impressed many onlookers and pundits.

Spain, also, cannot be overlooked. They have arguably the best player in the world in their squad, Alexia Putellas – but their recent success has been limited. Back in February, they were beaten by Australia – for all their talents, their defence can be somewhat fragile at times.