Bigger, better

Despite problems behind the scenes, this year's World Cup should lift the profile of the women's game to a new level

- Suzanne Wrack

• 32 Number of teams in the biggest ever Women’s World Cup
• $270k Win bonus for players in the winning team

“This is going to be the biggest and best ever Women’s World Cup.” There is no need to attribute the quote because it has come out of the mouth of almost every Fifa official, coach, player and pundit as the clock has ticked down and tournament fever has ramped up. What’s more: it is true.

This Women’s World Cup, which kicked off on Thursday and is being cohosted by New Zealand and Australia, is the biggest in history with the competition expanded from 24 to 32 teams. Eight countries are making their World Cup debuts. And, with Fifa targeting a global audience of two billion, it is likely to be the biggest in that respect too. That it will be the best is somewhat inevitable as well, the consequence of a rapidly developing game.

However, with that growth comes uneven development. Scratch the surface of the hyperbole around the tournament and there is still a long way to go to ensure that players and teams can reach their full potential.