FIFA Women's World cup: Semi-finalists put on war paint ahead to trophy battles

The final phase of the 2023 FIFA Women's world cup is in full swing, as semi-finalists Australia, Sweden, England, and Spain make their way towards enthralling encounters with their fans rooting for their success.

Spain will face Sweden in the first semi-final before England will go on a match with its co-host Australia. Following is a look into the journey of the globally cherished FIFA semi-finalist teams, as football lovers brace for the iconic final on Sunday. 

Spain

Prior to the first kick, Spain was one of the favourites despite their dismal record and the off-field drama that dates back to last year.

The Spanish Football Federation stated in September of last year that 15 members of the national team threatened to quit if manager Jorge Vilda didn't step down due to issues with the team's training regimen and match preparations. 

These allegations were disproved, and it appears that the players and coaching staff have been free to focus only on their performance on the pitch.

Spain was placed in Group C together with Zambia, Costa Rica, and Japan. They began their campaign with a 3-0 victory against Costa Rica, followed it up by five goals against Zambia with no response, and then suffered a 4-0 defeat to Japan.

After defeating Switzerland 5-1 in the round of 16, they overcame the Netherlands 2-1 in extra time. They will now face Sweden, who shocked the defending champions USA in the round of four.

Prior to 2019, Spain had only participated in two Women's World Cups. They failed to go past the group stage in their debut but did so in France after 2019.

Sweden

Japan appeared to be one of the teams to beat throughout the group round, but Sweden ruined their ambitions by winning the match by 2-1. The Swedes are a formidable opponent since they are currently riding a wave.

Sweden advanced to the knockout round by winning all three of their Group G games against South Africa, Italy, and Argentina.

That left the United States, who were vying for three straight World Cup victories, and Peter Gerhardsson's team on a collision path.

But the Swedes didn't follow the plan and won a tense penalty shootout where Zecira Musovic's spot-kick necessitated a VAR review to establish whether it crept past the line.

Goals by Amanda Ilestedt and Filippa Angeldahl in the quarterfinals were sufficient to defeat Japan and secure a spot in a prestigious semi-final.

Sweden has advanced to the World Cup semifinals five times overall, but this is the first time doing so in a competition with 32 teams. They reached the final in 2003 but lost to Germany. This time, they aspire to advance all the way and win their first significant title.

Australia

Australia has been a revelation during this event as the joint host nation with New Zealand. They have generated such a vibe at this year's event and will be anxious to keep the party going all the way to the final, spurred on by the fervent Aussie support.

Australia's story could have gone in so many different directions. They were placed in Group B, and after defeating Ireland and Nigeria, they were third going into the final pool match. They knew they had to defeat Canada, and they did so by rising to the challenge and winning 4-0 to take first place in the group.

As a result, they faced Denmark in the round of 16, which they won 2-0, and then they faced the formidable French team in the semifinals. No one was able to break the impasse.

No matter what happens, the Matildas will have outperformed their best prior performance in the Women's World Cup, having lost three straight quarterfinal matches from 2007 to 2015.

England

To see if the Lionesses can follow up their triumph at the Euros with a World Cup victory, all eyes will be on them. But in order to advance to the final, Sarina Wiegman's team will need to defeat a potent Australian team and a fervent home crowd.

When England easily defeated China 6-1 to advance to the round of 16, it appeared as though they had recovered their form after two disappointing 1-0 Group D wins against Haiti and Denmark.

They were quite fortunate to avoid losing to Nigeria in the opening round of the knockout stage. After Lauren James was dismissed, the Lionesses were outplayed for the entirety of regulation and extra time before narrowly winning 4-2 on penalties.

They made a little progress in the quarterfinals, coming back from a goal down to beat Colombia 2-1 and set up a thrilling matchup with Australia.

England has now advanced to the World Cup semifinals three times in a row, having also done so in 2015 and 2019. England's greatest tournament finish to date came in 2015 when they defeated Germany in the consolation game to place third. Will that change this year? Only time will tell.