The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is less than a year away, with the countdown to Australia and New Zealand officially on.

The U.S. women’s national team will look to defend its 2015 and 2019 titles — and the squad has a lot to prove after a disappointing bronze-medal performance in Tokyo.

The women’s game, however, has changed rapidly since 2019’s World Cup in France, and plenty of challengers will look to derail the USWNT’s bid for a three-peat.

Biggest threats to USWNT’s World Cup defense

England

Fresh off a thrilling victory at the UEFA Women’s EURO, England looks more dominant than ever. The Lionesses took out Spain, Sweden and Germany on their road to the title, a promising sign for the team’s World Cup hopes.

The England squad of 2023 will look much different than the one that fell to the USWNT in the 2019 World Cup semifinal.

First and foremost, the Lionesses have a new coach in Sarina Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to a World Cup final against the USWNT in 2019. Under Wiegman, England looks much more organized, with a well-oiled attack.

The Lionesses, much like the USWNT, have ushered in a new era, with Alessia Russo and Beth Mead stepping up as veterans Ellen White and Jill Scott announce their retirements.

England is a much-improved team since its 2-0 loss to the United States at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, and the team will be eager to show off its current form when the two squads clash in October in a friendly at Wembley Stadium.

CHLOE. KELLY. @Chloe_Kelly98 😱#WEURO2022 pic.twitter.com/TgTUvvZJW3

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) July 31, 2022

Germany

Never count out Germany.

While the Germans fell to England in the Euro final and were stunned by Sweden in the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Cup, the European powerhouse is still a favorite heading into Australia and New Zealand next July.

With more youth being integrated into the team’s roster, the German team looks sharper this World Cup cycle. The mix of young talent with proven veterans like Alexandra Popp has created a squad with the experience and drive necessary for a World Cup run.

France

France will be a force to be reckoned with at the upcoming World Cup, especially if Marie-Antoinette Katoto is fully recovered in time for the tournament.

The star striker had an impressive 2022 as the anchor to Les Bleus’ attack before suffering an ACL tear during France’s Euro campaign,. For club Paris Saint-Germain, Katoto registered 18 goals in 21 regular-season appearances during her 2021-2022 Division 1 Féminine run.

France will hope Katoto returns to form in time for Australia and New Zealand, which would allow her to join the likes of Delphine Cascarino, Kadidiatou Diani and Grace Geyoro on a young and eager roster.

Les Bleus will also enjoy a more relaxed environment in 2023, away from the limelight and pressure of playing hosts in 2019.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto doubles France's lead over Italy 👏🇫🇷

(📽️: @TUDNUSA )pic.twitter.com/ZcntVSlQfx

— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) July 10, 2022

Spain

Spain has been a thorn in the side of the USWNT in recent years, with the United States battling to a narrow 2-1 win in the 2019 World Cup and a 1-0 victory in January 2019.

Since their last meeting, Alexia Putellas has emerged as one of, if not the best, players in the world for Spain. Should she be able to fully recover from her ACL tear in time for the 2023 World Cup, Spain could spell trouble for the USWNT.

Spain likes to dominate possession, a style of play that the USWNT has traditionally struggled against. The USWNT wants to dictate tempo, but against Spain, the United States will have to be comfortable playing without the ball for prolonged periods.

Should Spain’s Putellas and Jenni Hermoso return from injury, Spain will be in an excellent position to challenge the USWNT down under.

Honorable mention: Brazil

Though Brazil has suffered losses to France, Denmark and Sweden in 2022, the Pia Sundhage-led squad may come up big in Australia and New Zealand. Sundhagen has Brazil playing a disciplined game, grounding a capable attack propelled by Debinha and Kerolin.

Despite a few shocking upsets in the early rounds of the 2025 NCAA soccer tournament, the ACC has retained its status as the conference to beat, with the powerhouse sending three teams to this season's College Cup semifinals on Friday.

With two tickets to Monday's national championship match on the line, four-time title-winners and No. 3-seed Florida State will take on College Cup debutants TCU in Friday's first semi, with the No. 2 Horned Frogs booking their semifinals spot by ousting fellow SEC standout No. 1 Vanderbilt 2-1 last Saturday.

The nightcap, on the other hand, will be an all-ACC affair, as No. 2 Duke continues their hunt for a first-ever national title against the tournament's overall No. 1 seed, Stanford.

The three-time NCAA champ Cardinal has been unstoppable, outscoring their opponents 21-5 across the tournament's first four rounds to set up a season-first matchup with the Blue Devils.

The 2025 College Cup will take place for the first time at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, home of the NWSL's Kansas City Current.

How to watch the 2025 College Cup semifinals

Friday's 2025 College Cup semifinals will begin with No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 Florida State at 6 PM ET, with No. 1 Stanford's clash against No. 2 Duke kicking off at 8:45 PM ET.

Both semifinals — plus Monday's 7PM ET championship match — will air live on ESPNU.

Playa Society is honoring the 25th anniversary of the classic sports film "Love & Basketball" this week, with the popular women's basketball outfitter dropping a capsule collection entitled "First Quarter: Ball Better Than You" — an homage to one of the film's iconic quotes.

"This is a love story, about our love for 'Love & Basketball,'" notes Playa Society about the collection. "Our love for [lead character] Monica, who served as the first representation of an unapologetic female athlete in film. Our love for [writer and director] Gina Prince-Bythewood for her persistence in delivering culture and truth. And our love for the energy of it all that inspired Playa Society to fill in the gaps for women in sports."

"I am so humbled by the enduring impact of the film on both ballers and non-athletes, who are inspired by characters who believe in themselves enough to fight for an impossible dream," Prince-Bythewood said of the project.

With New York Liberty teammates and girlfriends Natasha Cloud and Izzy Harrison serving as models, the "First Quarter" collection includes T-shirts, hoodies, and more.

This week's drop is just the first in the works between Prince-Bythewood and Playa Society founder Esther Wallace, with the LA Sentinel describing their collaboration as "blending nostalgia, culture, and women's sports in a way that honors the film while pushing the narrative forward."

How to purchase from Playa Society's "Love & Basketball" collection

All items from the "First Quarter" collection are now available in limited quantities at PlayaSociety.com.

The inaugural North American iteration of World Sevens Football (W7F) kicks off in Fort Lauderdale on Friday, when eight standout clubs will battle for three days for the the largest share of the 7v7 competition's $5 million prize pool.

All eight clubs boast championship backgrounds, including the reigning NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current, 2023 NWSL Shield-winners San Diego Wave, Liga MX Femenil Apertura winner Tigres UANL, current Northern Super League Shield-winner AFC Toronto, and more.

This weekend's edition is the second-ever W7F tournament, after the new venture launched with a Europe-centric competition in Portugal last May, crowning Bayern Munich as its debut champions.

In W7F, the 11v11 clubs instead field seven players per side on a pitch half the size of a regulation field, with matches comprised of two 15-minute halves along with smaller goals, no offside rule, and rolling substitutions throughout the games.

All eight clubs will compete in the group stage on Friday and Saturday, with the top four teams advancing to Sunday's knockout rounds.

How to watch this weekend's W7F tournament

The North American debut of W7F kicks off when the NWSL's Kansas City Current faces Brazilian powerhouse Clube de Regatas do Flamengo at 5 PM ET on Friday.

All games, including Sunday's 4:30 PM ET championship match, will air live on HBO Max as well we either TNT or truTV.

The SEC displayed its basketball dominance on Thursday's courts, as the conference won all four of the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge Day 2 matchups to feature at least one Top-25 team.

No. 2 Texas handled No. 11 North Carolina 79-64 while No. 3 South Carolina and No. 13 Ole Miss survived nail-biters against No. 22 Louisville and No. 18 Notre Dame, respectively.

"I thought [our players] got out and made big plays for themselves in the fourth and building the five-point lead," said South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. "It was a turning point for us, whether we were going to succumb to losing the game or fight to get back in it."

No one had a better night than No. 5 LSU, however, as the Tigers faced their season's first Power Four opponent to a 93-77 result over unranked Duke, erasing a 14-point deficit behind six double-digit LSU scorers — led by 18 points from star guard Flau'jae Johnson.

"We scored 93 tonight, and look how poor we played in the first quarter. We were behind. Scoring the ball is not going to be a problem," said Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey. "Our problem is we have to just continue to get better on the defensive end and take care of the ball."

Across the 16 total 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge games, the SEC took 13 victories, with only unranked Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and SMU earning ACC wins — over Auburn, Florida, and Arkansas, respectively — this week.

How to watch Top-25 NCAA basketball this weekend

This weekend's NCAA docket sees the nonconference schedule cool down, with No. 16 USC hosting No. 21 Washington in the only ranked battle.

The Trojans and Huskies will tip off in LA at 8 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on the Big Ten Network.