Group D was always likely to be one of the most closely watched groups at the Women's World Cup, with the world waiting to see if England can recreate their Euro 2022 heroics and become champions of the world for the first time in Australia and New Zealand.
Despite missing key players — including captain Leah Williamson — through injury, the Lionesses are still one of the favourites to win the tournament such is their quality in playing staff as well as coaching by Sarina Wiegman. Their performances in the group phase have done little to quell that optimism.
Victories over Haiti and Denmark were enough to send them through, and a 6-1 thrashing of China in their final match ensured they topped the group while sending a warning to rival sides at these finals. Denmark's 2-0 win over Haiti saw them progress in second place.
The Sporting News has all the key details surrounding Group D at the Women's World Cup.
MORE: Complete Women's World Cup schedule
Group D standings and schedule
Women's World Cup Group D table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England-Q | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 |
| Denmark-Q | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| China-E | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | -5 |
| Haiti-E | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -4 |
- Q = Qualified / E = Eliminated
The four teams played a round-robin format with each nation facing the other three times. Group standings are based on points from those three group-stage matches — three points for a win, one for a draw, none for a loss.
The top two teams from each group based on total points advance to the single-game knockouts. If teams are tied on points, goal difference is the first tiebreaker followed by goals scored. If teams are also tied in those categories, another set of tiebreakers is applied.
Group D match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, July 22 | England 1-0 Haiti | Highlights | Brisbane (AUS) | |
| Sat, July 22 | Denmark 1-0 China | Highlights | Perth (AUS) | |
| Fri, July 28 | England 1-0 Denmark | Highlights | Sydney (AUS) | |
| Fri, July 28 | China 1-0 Haiti | Highlights | Adelaide (AUS) | |
| Tue, Aug. 1 | China 1-6 England | Highlights | Adelaide (AUS) | |
| Tue, Aug. 1 | Haiti 0-2 Denmark | Highlights | Perth (AUS) |
Favourites to win Group D
England were overwhelming favourites to comfortably deal with the teams in front of them and win Group D. They duly did so.
The team with the closest odds of competing with England for top spot were Denmark, and they qualified alongside the European champions. Haiti were given little chance of reaching the knockout phase.
| England | Denmark | China | Haiti | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | — | — | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | 1.03 | 11.9 | 38.00 | 92.00 |
| SkyBet (UK) | 1/10 | 6/1 | 20/1 | 250/1 |
| Dafabet (India) | — | — | — | — |
| Unibet (Australia) | 1.04 | 12.00 | 41.00 | 101.0 |
*Odds as of July 12
Favourites to qualify from Group D
Before the tournament started, England were considered runaway group winners, and the fact that Haiti were an unknown quantity as debutants, bookmakers predicted Denmark and China to battle it out for the final qualification spot in Group D.
| England | Denmark | China | Haiti | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | — | — | — | — |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | 1.10 | 1.30 | 3.00 | 59.00 |
| SkyBet (UK) | 1/100 | 1/3 | 9/4 | 25/1 |
| Dafabet (India) | — | — | — | — |
| Unibet (Australia) | 1.01 | 1.30 | 2.75 | 21.00 |
*Odds as of July 12
Group D Round of 16 matchups
The top two teams in Group D will face off against the top two teams of Group B, which contains co-hosts Australia, Olympic Gold medalists Canada, Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland.
England will face Nigeria on August 7, while Denmark will take on host nation Australia on the same day.
Potential path to final for Group D teams
Women's World Cup Round of 16
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug. 5 | 1A vs. 2C | 3 p.m. | 1 a.m. | Auckland (NZL) |
| Sat, Aug. 5 | 1C vs. 2A | 6 p.m. | 4 a.m. | Wellington (NZL) |
| Sun, Aug. 6 | 1E vs. 2G | 12 p.m. | 10 p.m. (Aug. 5) | Sydney (AUS) |
| Sun, Aug. 6 | 1G vs. 2E | 7 p.m. | 5 a.m. | Melbourne (AUS) |
| Mon, Aug. 7 | Australia vs. Denmark | 8:30 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. | Sydney (AUS) |
| Mon, Aug. 7 | England vs. Nigeria | 5:30 p.m. | 3:30 a.m. | Brisbane (AUS) |
| Tue, Aug. 8 | 1F vs. 2H | 8:30 p.m. | 7 a.m. | Adelaide (AUS) |
| Tue, Aug. 8 | 1H vs. 2F | 6 p.m. | 4 a.m. | Melbourne (AUS) |
Women's World Cup Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug. 11 | QF1: 1A/2C vs. 1E/2G | 11 a.m. | 9 p.m. (Aug. 10) | Wellington (NZL) |
| Fri, Aug. 11 | QF2: 1C/2A vs. 1G/2E | 5:30 p.m. | 3:30 a.m. | Auckland (NZL) |
| Sat, Aug. 12 | QF3: Australia/Denmark vs. 1F/2H | 5 p.m. | 3 a.m. | Brisbane (AUS) |
| Sat, Aug. 12 | QF4: England/Nigeria vs. 1H/2F | 8:30 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. | Sydney (AUS) |
Women's World Cup Semifinals
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Aug. 15 | QF1 vs. QF2 | 6 p.m. | 4 a.m. | Auckland (NZL) |
| Wed, Aug. 16 | QF3 vs. QF4 | 8 p.m. | 6 a.m. | Sydney (AUS) |
Women's World Cup 3rd Place
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug. 19 | Semifinal losers | 6 p.m. | 4 a.m. | Brisbane (AUS) |
Women's World Cup Final
| Date | Match | Time (AEST) | Time (ET) | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, Aug. 20 | Semifinal winners | 8 p.m. | 6 a.m. | Sydney (AUS) |
