Women's World Cup: Group H Preview
The 2023 Women's World Cup starts on July 20th, so we're not far from the global sporting event.
Let's get prepped for the action by diving into Group H.
All betting odds come from the Women's World Cup odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Women's World Cup Group H
(FIFA ranking in parenthesis)
- Germany (2nd)
- Colombia (25th)
- South Korea (17th)
- Morocco (72nd)
Women's World Cup Outright Winner Odds
- Germany: +750
- Colombia: +19000
- South Korea: +19000
- Morocco: +43000
Odds to Win Group H
- Germany: -1000
- Colombia: +1700
- South Korea: +1900
- Morocco: +10000
Odds to Advance Out of Group H
- Germany: -20000
- Colombia: -130
- South Korea: +100
- Morocco: +2200
Odds to Reach the Quarterfinals
- Germany: -290
- Colombia: +1400
- South Korea: +1600
- Morocco: +10000
Group H Schedule
- Matchday 1
- Germany vs. Morocco, July 24th, 4:30 a.m. EST
- Colombia vs. South Korea, July 24th, 10 p.m. EST
- Matchday 2
- South Korea vs. Morocco, July 30th, 12:30 a.m. EST
- Germany vs. Colombia, July 30th, 5:30 a.m. EST
- Matchday 3
- Morocco vs. Colombia, August 3rd, 6 a.m. EST
- South Korea vs. Germany, August 3rd, 6 a.m. EST
Group H Team-by-Team Outlook
Germany
Germany are the clear star in this group, and their -1000 odds to top Group H and -20000 odds to advance out of the group stage back that up.
They finished as runners-up in the European Championships in 2022, losing 2-1 to England in the final. In World Cup qualification, they were nearly flawless, winning 9 of their 10 matches, with their only loss coming in a 3-2 defeat to Serbia. They finished with 47 goals scored and 5 goals conceded, allowing just 16 total shots on target.
In qualifying, 25-year-old forward Lea Schuller led the way with 15 goals, 10 more than the next-closest player, Laura Freigang. Jule Brand and Svenja Huth paced Germany in assists (six) and each added three goals.
Veteran forward and team captain Alexandra Popp will once again play a starring role for Germany. The 31-year-old will be making her third appearance at a World Cup and currently sits fifth on Germany's all-time goal-scorers list. She has the seventh-best odds to win the FIFA Golden Boot (+1600).
All told, Germany's World Cup roster includes 20 of the 23 players who reached the final of the European Championships. Germany won back-to-back World Cups in 2003 and 2007 but has struggled since -- getting eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2011 and 2019 and finishing fourth in 2015.
Germany are expected to advance from Group H with ease, and their -20000 odds to qualify for the knockout stage are tied with England for the best in the field.
They open their tournament as -3500 favorites in their first match against Morrocco and are expected to be true contenders for the title. Their +750 odds to win it all rank fourth-best.
Colombia
Colombia earned their place in the World Cup with their run to the finals of the 2022 Copa América Femenina. This will be their third appearance in the World Cup and their first since 2015 after they failed to qualify in 2019. In their previous appearances, they were eliminated in the group stage (2011) and Round of 16 (2015).
In qualifying, they won their five-team group in dominant fashion, recording a perfect 4-0 record with 13 goals for and 3 goals against. After a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the semifinals of the 2022 Copa América, they suffered a one-goal defeat to Brazil (currently eighth in FIFA rankings) in the final. Five different players scored at least two goals for Colombia during the tournament, with Leicy Santos leading the way in combined goals plus assists with five.
When Colombia kicks off their tournament on July 24th, all eyes will be on 18-year-old midfielder Linda Caicedo. Caicedo was the top scorer in Colombia's domestic league when she was 14 years old. She won the Golden Ball at the 2022 Copa América Femenina. How she fares in her World Cup debut is one of the most captivating storylines in the entire competition.
Caicedo and Colombia kick off their campaign in a showdown with South Korea on July 24th. The outcome of that fixture will go a long way toward determining who advances from Group H alongside Germany.
As it stands, Colombia are a narrow favorite (+135) to get the win over South Korea and have the second-best odds (-130) in the group to qualify for the knockout stage.
South Korea
South Korea earned their place in the World Cup with their performance at the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup. This year will be their third consecutive appearance at the World Cup and fourth overall. In their previous three appearances, they were eliminated in the group stages twice (2003 and 2019) and lost in the Round of 16 once (2015).
South Korea put together an impressive campaign in qualification. They finished second in their group on goal-differential, recording two victories and drawing with group winners Japan (currently 11th in FIFA rankings). In the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup, they eliminated World Cup hosts Australia (currently 10th in FIFA rankings) with a one-goal victory, before scoring a two-goal win over the Philippines in the semifinals. In the final, they lost 3-2 to China PR (currently 14th in FIFA rankings).
Midfielder Ji So-yun led the way in qualifying with five goals, tied for third-most in the tournament, while defender and captain Kim Hye-ri led South Korea in assists with two.
After a disappointing performance in the Arnold Clark Cup at the start of 2023, South Korea has turned things around heading into the World Cup, tallying three consecutive wins in friendlies by a combined score of 12-3.
Competing in an extremely competitive Asian Football Confederation, South Korea has experience against some of the best teams in the world and has the third-best odds (+100) among Group H squads to advance to the knockout round. Their World Cup begins with a crucial clash with Colombia on July 24th in which they are narrow underdogs to win (+185). Getting all three points in that match would be a huge help for South Korea's hopes of getting out of the group.
Their odds to win it all (+19000) are tied for 17th-best.
Morocco
Morocco earned their place in the World Cup by reaching the final of the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). This will mark Morocco's debut at the Women's World Cup, and in doing so, they become the first Arab team to play in the tournament.
The Atlas Lionesses put on a dominant display in qualifying, recording three consecutive victories to win their group, with five goals scored and one goal conceded. In the quarterfinals, they secured their place in the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Botswana before defeating Nigeria on penalties in the semifinals. In the finals, they lost 2-1 to South Africa.
Midfielder Ghizlane Chebbak tied for AFCON's top scorer with three goals and was named the best player of the tournament. She is expected to captain the Atlas Lionesses. Rosella Ayane, a 27-year-old forward, will also play an important role. The Tottenham forward scored the decisive penalty against Nigeria in the semifinals and has 6 goals and 2 assists in 14 career appearances for Morocco.
Advancing past the group stages will be a difficult -- but not impossible -- task for Morocco. Of the eight teams with the worst odds to advance from their groups, Morocco (+2200) has the third-best odds.
An opening game against Germany on July 24th will be an extremely difficult test. In that one, the Atlas Lionesses are (+6000) underdogs to pull off the upset. Getting just a point would be massive for Morocco's chances of advancing to the knockout round.
The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.