USWNT schedule for the Women's World Cup

Another four years have passed, and the buildup to the 2023 Women’s World Cup is about to reach the crescendo. The action in Australia & New Zealand kicks off on Thursday, July 20. For USA fans it’s a special time, because the United States women are four-time World Cup champions, and are looking for their third in a row. So you don’t miss any of the games, here’s the USWNT schedule for the tournament.

USWNT schedule for World Cup 2023

Luckily, US fans have mostly lucked out when it comes to kickoff times for the group stage. Due to the host nations’ location on the other side of the planet, many kickoff times for the tournament are in the wee hours of the morning for US viewers. But two of the three USWNT group games are set for 9PM ET / 6PM PT. Only the group finale versus Portugal on August 1 is at an inconvenient 3AM ET.

Of course, barring something astonishing happening, the USWNT will likely advance to the knockout rounds. The round of 16 is set for August 5-7, the quarterfinals August 10-12, and the semifinals August 15-16. The third place game is August 19, with the final on August 20. However, prepare to get up early (or stay up very late) for the later rounds.

Track A: USWNT wins Group E

Only two of the tournament’s sixteen total knockout games are scheduled for an evening (US ET) kickoff time. But, it seems the organizers have planned those two games in anticipation of potential USA participation. The August 5 round of 16 game in Sydney, set for 10PM ET, will feature the winner of Group E (USA’s group). Should the USA advance from there, they’d go to Wellington on August 10 for a 9PM ET kickoff in the quarterfinals. A run to the semifinals via this route would land them in Auckland for a 4AM ET kickoff on August 15.

Track B: USWNT finishes second in Group E

If the US were to finish second in their group, though, it’s all pre-dawn action. A second place Group E finish has the USWNT in the round of 16 on August 6 at 5AM ET in Melbourne. The quarterfinal featuring the winner of that game would be in Auckland, at 3:30 AM ET on August 11. The semifinal in this scenario would then be August 16 at 6AM ET, in Sydney.

Should the US be fortunate enough to make the semifinals, they’d be guaranteed one more match after that. But win or lose in the semis, and it’s an early wake-up for fans watching the final game of the tournament:

So get the coffeemaker going, throw on your pajamas and get ready for what should be another exciting World Cup from the USWNT!

Photo: Imago