2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
source
Year	2011
Other titles	FIFA Frauen-Weltmeisterschaft Deutschland 2011
Country	Germany
Dates	26 June – 17 July
Num teams	16
Champion	JPN
Second	USA
Third	SWE
Fourth	FRA
Matches	32
Goals	86
Attendance	845,751
Top scorer	JPN Homare Sawa (5 goals)
Player	JPN Homare Sawa
Goalkeeper	USA Hope Solo
Prev	2007
Next	2015

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup was the sixth edition of the premier international competition for women's national football teams, organized by FIFA. Hosted by Germany from 26 June to 17 July, the tournament culminated in a dramatic final at Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt. The event was won by Japan, who defeated the United States in a penalty shoot-out following a 2–2 draw after extra time. This victory marked the first senior FIFA World Cup title for an Asian Football Confederation nation and occurred just months after the devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Background and qualification

The right to host the tournament was awarded to Germany by FIFA in October 2007, beating bids from Canada and Peru. This was the first time the event was held in Europe since the 1995 edition in Sweden. The qualification process involved continental competitions organized by the six FIFA confederations, including the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup, 2010 Copa América Femenina, and 2010 African Women's Championship. Defending champions Germany qualified automatically as hosts, alongside fifteen other nations. Notable qualifiers included debutants Equatorial Guinea and Colombia, while traditional powers like Brazil, Sweden, and Norway also secured their places.

Venues and schedule

Matches were played across nine stadiums in nine German cities, showcasing the nation's modern football infrastructure. Key venues included the final stadium, Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt, Olympiastadion in Berlin, and RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. Other host cities were Augsburg, Bochum, Dresden, Leverkusen, Mönchengladbach, and Sinsheim. The tournament opened on 26 June at Olympiastadion with a match between Germany and Canada. The group stage ran until 5 July, followed by the knockout phase, culminating in the final on 17 July. The schedule was designed to maximize attendance and national exposure across the host nation.

Participating teams and squads

The sixteen finalists were drawn into four groups of four teams each. Germany headed Group A, which included Canada, Nigeria, and France. Brazil led Group D with Australia, Norway, and Equatorial Guinea. Each nation submitted a squad of 21 players, featuring stars like Birgit Prinz of Germany, Marta of Brazil, and Abby Wambach of the United States. The Japan squad, managed by Norio Sasaki, included pivotal figures such as captain Homare Sawa and goalkeeper Ayumi Kaihori.

Tournament format and group stage

The competition used a format of a group stage followed by a single-elimination knockout stage. In the group phase, teams played a round-robin within their groups, with the top two teams from each advancing to the quarter-finals. Group B saw England and Japan progress ahead of Mexico and New Zealand. In Group C, Sweden and the United States advanced, eliminating North Korea and Colombia. A major shock occurred in Group A, where hosts Germany were unexpectedly eliminated by France in the group's decisive match.

Knockout stage and final

The quarter-finals featured dramatic matches, including Sweden's upset of Australia and Japan's extra-time victory over Germany. In the semi-finals, Japan defeated Sweden 3-1, while the United States beat France in a thrilling 3-1 contest. The final at Commerzbank-Arena saw Japan come from behind twice, with Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach scoring for the United States, and Aya Miyama and Homare Sawa equalizing for Japan. After a 2-2 draw, Japan won 3-1 on penalties, with Saki Kumagai converting the decisive spot-kick.

Statistics and awards

The tournament saw 86 goals scored in 32 matches, with an average attendance of 26,430. The Golden Ball for best player was awarded to Japan's captain Homare Sawa, who also won the Golden Boot with five goals. The Golden Glove for best goalkeeper went to Hope Solo of the United States. The FIFA Fair Play Award was given to Japan. Notable individual performances included Brazil' (footballer, who won the tournament, who scored a national football team|Brazil' (footballer)Brazil)Brazil's national football team|Brazil's national football team|Brazil national team's national team|Brazil's national team|Brazil's national team|Brazil's national team|Brazil' national team|Brazil' team|Brazil's national team|Brazil's national team|Brazil's national team|Brazil' national team|Brazil' national team|Brazil'|Japan women's national football team|United States women's World Cup|Japan women's national football team|Japan women's national football team|United States women's national football team|Japan women's national football team|United States women's national football|Japan women's national football|Japan women's national football|Japan women's national football team|Japan'|Japan'|Japan'|Japan'|Japan'|Japan'|Japan women's national football team|Japan women's national football team|Japan women's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan women's national football team|Japan women's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|United States women's national football tournament|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football team|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national footballJapan's national footballJapan's national footballJapan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan's national football|Japan women's national football team|United States