Technical-tactical performance and collective spatial organization at the Fifa women’s world cup 2023: Establishing a benchmark for elite women’s soccer

Women’s soccer has grown significantly in popularity, competitiveness, and professionalism. Despite this growth, research on collective spatial organization and its relationship with match outcomes in elite women’s soccer remains limited. This study aimed to investigate differences in spatial organization and technical-tactical performance between winning and losing teams during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. A total of 102 observations from 51 non-drawn matches were analyzed using official FIFA post-match reports. The variables included width, height, depth, total area occupied by the team, and key match actions (shots, completed passes, receptions in the final third, line breaks, and defensive line breaks). Generalized Linear Models were used to compare outcomes. Results showed that winning teams performed better in most technical-tactical actions and recovered possession faster, while applying less defensive pressure. Spatially, they demonstrated greater width, height, and area in the build-up and progression phases, higher positioning in the high and middle blocks, and distinct patterns in the final third and low block. These findings establish a benchmark analysis for elite women’s soccer, showing how the integration of spatial and technical-tactical performance metrics can more accurately inform training and strategic planning.