Women’s World Cup group stage format for 2023

The 2023 Women's World Cup is off to a strong start with the group stage in full swing.

Thirty-two teams around the world are competing to secure a spot in the knockout stage with 16 teams reaching that feat while 16 others packing their bags.

WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

The USWNT is one of the 32 teams trying to secure its spot in the Round of 16 as it gets ready to face Portugal in a crucial game. A win or draw would take the Gals to the knockout stage.

Before we get to the next phase of the tournament, let's take a look at how exactly the group stage works and the teams currently competing:

Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.

How does the group stage work in World Cup 2023?

The group stage is essentially a round-robin tournament.

The four teams in each group will play each opponent in their group once in hopes of advancing to the knockout stage. Only two teams per group advance after the six group games.

Teams are ordered within their group based on their results. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss.

If two or more teams are tied with the same number of points within the group, a series of tiebreakers will determine the teams' order.

The tiebreaker format is as follows:

Group points
Group goal difference
Group goals scored
Head-to-head record
Fair play record
Drawing of lots

What is the new group stage format at the World Cup?

The new format of the 2023 Women's World Cup features 32 teams split into eight groups of four.

In 1991, only 12 teams competed in the tournament while, 1999 saw the field increase to 16 teams. In 2015 and 2019, the tournament had a 24-team format.