Soccer Football - FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Germany Training - Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne, Australia - July 23, 2023 Germany's Marina Hegering with teammates during training REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
AUCKLAND (Reuters) - Former champions Germany and fellow powerhouses Brazil will kick off their Women's World Cup title challenges on Monday, while newcomers Morocco will make history by becoming the first Arab side to compete in the tournament.
Second-ranked Germany won consecutive World Cups in 2003 and 2007 but their last major triumph, excluding an Olympic gold in 2016, was a decade ago when they won an eighth European Championship.
A runners-up finish to England at last year's Euros was their best result at a major tournament since 2013 and they will fancy their chances to build on that run, although coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg warned the women's game has never been more competitive.
"Women's football teams have come closer than ever," Voss-Tecklenburg said before Germany face Morocco in Group H in Melbourne. "All the countries coming here ... absolutely have the quality to play here and to pose problems.
"We will have the same scenario tomorrow."
Morocco, ranked 72nd, are one of eight teams making their debut at this tournament, having qualified after finishing second at the Africa Cup of Nations, and coach Reynald Pedros said they are "ready to fight".
"They all know it's going to be their first game and they are debutants. But the message for them is that it is something that is extremely positive," Pedros said. "It's going to give us so much experience."
Brazil's continental success has not yet translated onto the global stage, with their best finish being second place in 2007. They reached the quarter-finals in 2011 but exited in the last 16 in the next two tournaments.
Veteran forward Marta, Brazil's record scorer with 115 goals, will begin her sixth and final World Cup with the Group F opener against debutants Panama in Adelaide.
Italy, quarter-finalists in 2019, will begin their Group G campaign against Argentina, who have never won a World Cup match in their three tournament appearances so far.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by Toby Davis)
