England saved their best World Cup performance (so far) for their final group encounter, hammering China 6-1 at the Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide to book their spot in the Round of 16.
Lauren James dazzled for the Lionesses, with two goals and three assists against China, as they made it three wins from three in Group D to finish top with a maximum of nine points.
Now, Sarina Wiegman’s side will turn their attention to the knockout rounds as they look to win England’s first ever Women’s World Cup title, to build on their success at the European Championship in 2021.
The Sporting News details their progress and potential map through the tournament after an emphatic group-stage campaign.
MORE: Latest on the Golden Boot race at the Women’s World Cup 2023
England results at Women’s World Cup 2023
Despite slightly underwhelming performances in their opening two matches, the Lionesses will be satisfied with their returns at the tournament so far.
Nine points from nine represents an ideal start to the World Cup and Wiegman will hope even better performances are to come after the China demolition.
July 22: England 1-0 Haiti (Stanway pen 29)
July 28: England 1-0 Denmark (James 6)
Aug 1: England 6-1 China (Russo 4, Hemp 26, James 41, 65, Kelly 77, Daly 84)
Who will England face in the Round of 16, quarterfinals?
The Lionesses now face Nigeria in the last 16, as the African nation finished second in Group B. That fixture is scheduled for Monday, August 7 in Brisbane, kicking off at 8:30 a.m. BST, which is 5:30 p.m. local time in Australia. It will be broadcast by the BBC for UK viewers.
If they come through that game, England will face the victors of the clash between Group H’s winners and the runners-up from Group F. At the moment, that could be Jamaica versus Colombia.
France then look the likeliest semifinal opponent, with teams such as the USA, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands all on the opposite side of the draw. They’re all potential final opponents for the Lionesses — if they get there.
— Sporting News Football Club (@sn_footballclub) August 1, 2023
Women’s World Cup Round of 16 fixtures
The matchups in the Round of 16 are predetermined and the bracket is updated as each team clinches first or second place in their respective groups.
Below is the updated lineup after a number of the first and second place finishes in the group standings were confirmed.
At the time of writing, groups F, G and H still need to be finalised. In Group F, France, Jamaica and Brazil all still have hopes of qualifying. Sweden are top of Group G with two wins from two, while Colombia lead Group H from Germany and Morocco going into the final round of group fixtures.
World Cup Round of 16
Date
Match
Time (Local / ET / GMT)
City
Sat, Aug. 5
Switzerland (1A) vs.
Spain (2C)
5 p.m. / 1 a.m. / 6 a.m.
Auckland (NZL)
Sat, Aug. 5
Japan (1C) vs.
Norway (2A)
8 p.m. / 4 a.m. / 9 a.m.
Wellington (NZL)
Sun, Aug. 6
Netherlands (1E) vs.
Group G Runner-up (2G)
12 p.m. / 10 p.m. (Aug 5) / 3 a.m.
Sydney (AUS)
Sun, Aug. 6
Group G Winner (1G) vs.
USA (2E)
7 p.m. / 5 a.m. / 10 a.m.
Melbourne (AUS)
Mon, Aug. 7
England (1D) vs.
Nigeria (2B)
5:30 p.m. / 3:30 a.m. / 8:30 a.m.
Brisbane (AUS)
Mon, Aug. 7
Australia (1B) vs.
Denmark (2D)
8:30 p.m. / 6:30 a.m. / 11:30 a.m.
Sydney (AUS)
Tue, Aug. 8
Group H Winner (1H) vs.
Group F Runner-up (2F)
6 p.m. / 4 a.m. / 9 a.m.
Melbourne (AUS)
Tue, Aug. 8
Group F Winner (1F) vs.
Group H Runner-up (2H)
8:30 p.m. / 7 a.m. / 12 p.m.
Adelaide (AUS)
How does the Round of 16 work in the Women’s World Cup?
The Round of 16 is the start of what is commonly referred to as the knockout rounds because every match is single elimination from here on out.
There are no points earned. There are no standings. There’s simply a winner and a loser.
The Round of 16 pairings pit group winners against group runners-up.
MORE: Top 10 players at the Women’s World Cup
What happens if knockout matches finish tied?
There has to be a winner on the day for every Round of 16 match and for subsequent knockout matches (quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match, final).
So, if teams are level after 90 minutes of regulation time, the match goes into a 30-minute period of extra time.
If the deadlock persists after those 30 minutes of extra time, then a penalty shootout will determine the team that moves on to the quarterfinals.
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