Preview: France Women vs. Jamaica Women - prediction, team news, lineups

France are making their fifth appearance at the tournament, while Jamaica are at a Women's World Cup for the second time in their history.

Match preview

Since suffering group stage elimination in their first World Cup appearance in 2003, France have featured in the knockout rounds in the last three finals

Their best performance at the World Cup took place in 2011 when they reached the semi-finals, before being beaten 3-1 by the USA.

After being knocked out in the quarter-finals in 2015 and 2019, France will be hoping to progress further this time around as they dream of winning their first-ever major trophy.

France have only lost one of their last eight internationals, although that defeat did arrive in their final official warm-up game against Australia earlier this month.

Having won their last three World Cup openers, Les Bleues will be looking to continue that impressive run when they face Jamaica in Sydney.

Jamaica, meanwhile, will be hoping to improve upon their only previous World Cup appearance in 2019 when they lost all three group games.

After beginning their first World Cup with a 3-0 defeat to Brazil, they went on to lose heavily to both Italy and Australia.

The Reggae Girlz secured their place in the 2023 tournament with an encouraging performance at the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, where they reached the semi-finals to guarantee their presence in Australia and New Zealand.

With France and Brazil favourites to advance from a group that also features Panama, the Reggae Girlz will need to pull off a surprise result or two if they are to progress to the knockout rounds.

In their final official warm-up game prior to the World Cup, Jamaica claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Morocco, representing their first international win since November 2022.

France Women form (all competitions):

Jamaica Women form (all competitions):

Team News

France go into the tournament without the services of Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who failed to recover in time from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Oriane Jean-Francois, Amandine Henry and Delphine Cascarino have also been ruled out of the World Cup due to injury issues.

Selma Bacha is unlikely to feature in France's opening game after being forced off with an ankle problem in the defeat to Australia earlier this month.

As for Jamaica, Tottenham Hotspur's Rebecca Spencer is set to start in goal, and she could be shielded by the central defensive pairing of Allyson Swaby and her younger sister Chantelle Swaby.

Jamaica boss Lorne Donaldson could opt to pack the middle of the park with Drew Spence, Havana Solaun and Vyan Sampson.

After scoring 29 goals in 28 competitive appearances during the 2022-23 campaign, Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw will be hoping to carry her club form into the World Cup.

France Women possible starting lineup:

Peyraud-Magnin; Lakrar, De Almeida, Renard, Karchaoui; Geyoro, Toletti, Dali; Diani, Mateo, Le Sommer

Jamaica Women possible starting lineup:

Spencer; Wiltshire, A. Swaby, C. Swaby, Blackwood; Carter, Spence, Solaun, Sampson, Brown; Shaw

We say: France Women 3-1 Jamaica Women

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