Nadeshiko Japan, the women's national soccer team, aims for more glory at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. This year's edition of the quadrennial event is being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, with the opening matches kicking off on July 20.
Nadeshiko, currently ranked 11th in the world, won the Cup in 2011. Four-time winner the United States is the defending champion. The only other teams to win the Cup, Norway and two-time champ Germany, are also in the tournament.
Japan is in Group C and opens play against Zambia on July 22. The African nation, ranked 77th, is making its first appearance in the World Cup. Although Zambia has the lowest ranking among the 32 teams that qualified for the tournament, Japan is not underestimating its first opponent.
