QUALIFYING | A win on Wednesday would catapult Spain into the last 16
Only one matchday of the group stage has been played and Spain are well on course to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup.
Japan's thrashing of Zambia in Hamilton on Saturday left them level on points with the Spanish, whose emphatic win over Costa Rica on Thursday sees them in joint top spot in Group C with the Japanese.
As things stand, Japan will face Costa Rica in Dunedin on Wednesday 26 July at 7:00 (Spanish peninsular time), while the Spanish national team will take on Zambia in Auckland at 9:30 (Spanish peninsular time). If the winners of the first matchday do the same next time out, they will qualify for the Round of 16, with both teams facing off to see who wins the group on 31 July in Wellington.
The current group standings are as follows:
GROUP C. AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals for | Goals against | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1º | Japón | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 2º |
ESPAÑA |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 3º | Costa Rica | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| 4º | Zambia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |