The Stadium Australia is expected to be packed on Wednesday as joint hosts, Australia face England in the  second FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 semi-final. It is a clash of hosts against European champions.

This will be Australia’s first semi-final appearance at a FIFA Women’s World Cup, after they bowed out at the quarter-final stage in three of their previous campaigns (2007, 2011 and 2015).

In reaching the last four, the Matildas became only the second nation to have made it through to the FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-finals as hosts, after the USA, who were winners in 1999 and finished third in 2003. Tony Gustavsson’s charges will have a golden opportunity to make yet more history if they manage to overcome England in this one.

England have reached the semi-finals for the third consecutive edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Led by Sarina Wiegman – the only female coach left in the competition – the Lionesses overcame a valiant Colombia side in the last eight and will be going all out to secure their spot in a second successive major tournament final, after lifting the EURO crown on home soil in 2022.

LAST MEETING:

• 11/04/2023, England 0-2 Australia, friendly, Brentford Community Stadium, Brentford (England)

KEY FACTS

This will be a 32nd FIFA Women’s World Cup fixture for both nations. Australia’s record at the finals reads: Won: 10, Drawn: 7,  Lost: 14, while England’s is:  Won: 19,  Drawn: 5, Lost: 7.

This will be the teams’ first FIFA Women’s World Cup meeting. England will be Australia’s 17th different opponent in the competition, while the Lionesses will be facing their 18th different opponent.

Australia are the third Asian Football Confederation (AFC) representatives to feature in the semi-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, after China PR (1995, 1999) and Japan (2011, 2015).

The AFC teams’ record in the FIFA Women’s World Cup last four reads: Won 3,  Lost 1.

Sides from the region have emerged victorious in each of their last three matches at this stage of the tournament, since China PR lost to Germany at the 1995 edition.

Australia have scored 47 goals in FIFA Women’s World Cup history and are therefore three shy of the 50 goal landmark.

Australia’s 31 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches have yielded a total of 100 goals (Goals For: 47, Goals Against: 53).

Australia’s nine-goal haul at this year’s finals has equalled their previous highest tally in a single edition of the tournament, which they recorded at the 2007 and 2019 instalments.

England have won 10 and drawn one of their last 13 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches (Won:10, Drawn 1, Lost 2).

The Lionesses have prevailed in three and drawn one of their five FIFA Women’s World Cup outings against AFC opposition (Won 3, Drawn 1, Lost 1).

England’s highest goals tally at a FIFA Women’s World Cup final competition is 13 (2019). They have found the net ten times so far at these finals.

England’s goalless stalemate against Nigeria in the round of 16 is the only occasion in their last 18 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches in which they have failed to score.

When she scored in the quarter-finals, Lauren Hemp (23y 5d) became the youngest England player to have netted in a FIFA Women’s World Cup knockout-stage match, claiming the record from her teammate Lucy Bronze, who was aged 23 years and 237 days when she was on target in the roundof16 meeting against Norway at the 2015 tournament.

AUSTRALIA TEAM FACTS

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM RECORDS

• Overall record: Played: 31, Won: 10, Drawn: 7, Lost: 14, Goals For: 47, Goal Against: 53, Goals Difference: -6 
• Biggest win: 4-0 Australia v. Canada (31/07/2023)
• Biggest defeat: 0-5Australia v. Denmark (06/06/1995)
• Highest scoring match: 6 goals – Australia 2-4 China PR (08/06/1995)
• Most goals scored in a match: 4 – Australia 4-1 Ghana (12/09/2007)/Australia 4-1 Jamaica (18/06/2019)/Australia 4-0 Canada (31/07/2023)
• Most goals conceded in a match: 5 – Australia 0-5 Denmark (06/06/1995)
• Most goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 9 – 2007, 2019 and 2023 (5 matches)
• Fewest goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 – 1995, 1999 and 2003 (3 matches) Most goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 13 – 1995 (3 matches)
• Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 3 – 2023 (5 matches)

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP STREAKS

• Successive wins: 2 (2011, 2019 and 2023)
• Successive defeats: 3 (1995 and 1999-2003)
• Successive draws: 2 (2007)
• Successive matches without a defeat: 4 (2019-2023)
• Successive matches without a win: 9 (1995-2003)
• Successive matches with a goal scored: 12 (1995-2007)
• Successive matches without scoring: 1 (four times, the last of which was 2023-present)
• Successive clean sheets: 3 (2023-present)

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP EXTRA-TIME MATCHES

• 22/06/2019 Australia 1-1 Norway (1-4 PSO) (round of 16)
• 12/08/2023 Australia 0-0 France (7-6 PSO) (quarter-finals)

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS (Won 0, Lost; 1)

• 22/06/2019 Australia 1-4 Norway (PSO) (round of 16)
• 12/08/2023 Australia 7-6 France (PSO) (quarter-finals)

England team facts

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP TEAM RECORDS

• Overall record: Played: 31,Won: 19,  Drawn: 5,  Lost: 7, Goals For: 53, Goals Against: 32, Goal Difference: 21
• Biggest win: 6-1England v. Argentina (17/09/2007)/6-1 England v. China PR (01/08/2023)
• Biggest defeat: 0-3 England v. Germany (13/06/1995)/0-3 England v. USA (22/09/2007)
• Highest scoring match: 7 goals – England 6-1 Argentina (17/09/2007)/England 6-1 China PR (01/08/2023)
• Most goals scored in a match: 6 – England 6-1 Argentina (17/09/2007)/England 6-1 China PR (01/08/2023)
• Most goals conceded in a match: 3 – England 0-3 Germany (13/06/1995)/England 0-3 USA (22/09/2007)
• Most goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 13 – 2019 (7 matches)
• Fewest goals scored at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 6 – 1995 and 2011 (4 matches)
• Most goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 9 – 1995 (4 matches)
• Fewest goals conceded at a FIFA Women’s World Cup: 2 – 2023 (5 matches)

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP STREAKS

• Successive wins: 6 (2015-2019)
• Successive defeats: 2 (2019)
• Successive draws: 2 (2007)
• Successive matches without a defeat: 6 (2015-2019)
• Successive matches without a win: 3 (1995-2007)
• Successive matches with a goal scored: 16 (2015-2023)
• Successive matches without scoring: 1 (six times, the last of which was 2023-present)
• Successive clean sheets: 4 (2019)

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP EXTRA-TIME MATCHES

• 09/07/2011 England 1-1 France (3-4 PSO) (quarter-finals)
• 04/07/2015 England 1-0 Germany (match for third place)
• 07/08/2023 England 0-0 Nigeria (4-2 PSO) (round of 16)

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP PENALTY SHOOT-OUTS (Won: 1, Lost 1)

• 09/07/2011 England 3-4 France (PSO) (quarter-finals)
• 07/08/2023 England 4-2 Nigeria (PSO) (round of 16)