There were high hopes for co-hosts Australia heading into the ongoing Women’s World Cup, and the Matildas are on track for a strong tournament.
Tony Gustavsson’s side has progressed to the quarterfinals in what has become an unexpectedly open draw.
On top of that, Sam Kerr has been brought back into the mix, playing her first minutes of the World Cup in the Round of 16 after missing all three group stage matches.
The Sporting News looks at the Matildas’ updated chances of winning the tournament, and what their potential path to glory could look like.
MORE: Matildas World Cup 2023 schedule
Australia World Cup odds 2023
While the Matildas are considered as one of the strongest sides in the tournament, they are not considered favourites to win the World Cup.
Pre-tournament, many outlets rated them as the team with the fifth or sixth best chance to win it all, with the likes of France and Germany deemed to have a similar chance of success.
The current favourites to win the tournament are England, with the likes of the United States, Canada, Germany and Brazil all exiting earlier than expected.
Spain and Japan are close behind in the odds, while Australia are on the fifth line of betting.
| Neds | SkyBet | BetMGM | Dafabet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia to win the World Cup | 9.00 | – | – | – |
Odds correct as of August 7, 2023
Can Australia win the World Cup?
If the Matildas are to win a World Cup, this could be their best chance to do so.
Home-ground advantage, a mix of youth and experience, strong form heading into the tournament and a relatively settled starting line-up means that the chances of victory are promising.
Their group had its challenges — notably a surprise 3-2 defeat to Nigeria — but Australia were able to come out on top.
A Round of 16 clash with Denmark followed, with the Matildas picking up a strong 2-0 win to send them into the quarterfinals.
From here, the equation is simple — win three more games.
Easier said than done, of course.
Australia’s potential knockout opponents
With their quarterfinal spot now booked, here is the potential path to the World Cup final for the Matildas.
Quarterfinals: Australia vs. France
The quarterfinals represent the stage where the heavyweight sides begin to meet each other, and in this case, there is a strong possibility that Australia could come up against France at Brisbane Stadium
Les Bleues will have to defeat Morocco first, although they are firm favourites for that one.
The Matildas would likely come into a clash with France with confidence, having beaten them in a pre-tournament friendly.
Semifinals: Australia vs. England
Should Australia navigate that sizeable French hurdle, they would return to Sydney in a mammoth semifinal clash against the winners of a quarterfinal matchup between England and Colombia/Jamaica.
England will be without star attacker Lauren James but will be the favourites to progress and set up a tie with Australia.
If that fixture comes to fruition, it would give Australia the unique opportunity to both make a World Cup final and defeat the Euro 2022 champions for the second time in a calendar year.
Final: Australia vs. Spain/Japan/Netherlands/Sweden
In what would be arguably the biggest game in Australian football history, the Matildas would then have a World Cup final in their own backyard, where their potential opponent is hard to predict.
That side of the draw is rather strong, with Spain, Japan, the Netherlands and Sweden all having genuine chances to reach the final.
Regardless of who makes it through, it would be an unforgettable occasion for Australia in front of over 75,000 fans at Stadium Australia.
Australia’s best World Cup finish
There is a strong chance that Australia could achieve their greatest finish at a World Cup, even if they do not reach or win the final.
Their previous best finish came in 2015 when they reached the quarterfinals after defeating Brazil 1-0 in the round of 16.
That win was the first time any Australian side men or women had won a match at the knockout stage of a World Cup. Their journey ended at the next stage against Japan.