The group stage of the 2021 Olympic women’s soccer tournament will see eight teams survive and advance to the quarterfinals, keeping their dreams alive of winning a gold medal in Tokyo.
The 12 nations vying for Olympic glory were split into three groups of four teams each, labeled Groups E-G to avoid confusion with the men’s tournament Groups A-D. The top two finishers automatically receive a berth into the quarters and the two best third-place teams will join them to round out the elite group of eight.
How the women’s Olympic soccer group stage works
The four opponents in each group will face off in a classic round-robin format over three matchdays: July 21, July 24 and July 27, with teams earning three points for a win, one for a draw and none in the case of a loss.
WATCH: Women’s Olympic soccer matches on fuboTV
At the end of the final matchday on July 27, the final standings will determine each team’s fate. The position in the group will either lock a team into a specific quarterfinal matchup, or send some countries packing for an early trip home.
If teams are even on points, predetermined tiebreakers will be used one-by-one until all ties are broken. If there’s still a deadlock between two or more teams after the sixth tiebreaker, FIFA will draw lots (i.e., pull a name out of a hat). Here’s the order of tiebreakers, as detailed in the official tournament rules:
- Superior goal difference in all group matches
- Most goals scored in all group matches
- Most points obtained in group matches between teams that are tied
- Superior goal difference in group matches between teams that are tied
- Most goals scored in all group matches between teams that are tied
- Best conduct score based on yellow/red cards received in all group matches
- Drawing of lots by FIFA
The two best third-place teams are determined based on the same tie-breaking mechanisms, though tiebreakers Nos. 3-5 don’t apply for obvious reasons.
MORE: The quirks of the Olympic soccer competition
Women’s Olympic soccer standings & schedule
The group standings and schedules follow below and will be updated as the tournament progresses.
(PTS=Points, GP=Games Played, W=Wins, L=Losses, D=Draws, GF=Goals For, GA=Goals Against (Conceded), GD=Goal Difference)
Group E standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chile | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Great Britain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group E schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV channels | Stream |
| Wed, July 21 | Great Britain vs. Chile | 3:30 a.m. | Olympic Channel, Universo | fuboTV |
| Wed, July 21 | Japan vs. Canada | 6:30 a.m. | NBCSN, Universo | fuboTV |
| Sat, July 24 | Chile vs. Canada | 3:30 a.m. | Telemundo | fuboTV |
| Sat, July 24 | Japan vs. Great Britain | 6:30 a.m. | N/A | |
| Tues, July 27 | Chile vs. Japan | 7 a.m. | Universo | fuboTV |
| Tues, July 27 | Canada vs. Great Britain | 7 a.m. | N/A |
Group F standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zambia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group F schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV channels | Stream |
| Wed, July 21 | China vs. Brazil | 4 a.m. | NBCSN | fuboTV |
| Wed, July 21 | Zambia vs. Netherlands | 7 a.m. | Olympic Channel | fuboTV |
| Sat, July 24 | China vs. Zambia | 4 a.m. | N/A | |
| Sat, July 24 | Netherlands vs. Brazil | 7 a.m. | Universo | fuboTV |
| Tues, July 27 | Netherlands vs. China | 7:30 a.m. | N/A | |
| Tues, July 27 | Brazil vs. Zambia | 7:30 a.m. | Telemundo | fuboTV |
Group G standings
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| New Zealand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sweden | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group G schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV channels | Stream |
| Wed, July 21 | Sweden vs. USA | 4:30 a.m. | USA Network, Telemundo | fuboTV |
| Wed, July 21 | Australia vs. New Zealand | 7:30 a.m. | USA Network | fuboTV |
| Sat, July 24 | Sweden vs. Australia | 4:30 a.m. | NBCSN | fuboTV |
| Sat, July 24 | New Zealand vs. USA | 7:30 a.m. | NBCSN, Telemundo | fuboTV |
| Tues, July 27 | New Zealand vs. Sweden | 4 a.m. | N/A | |
| Tues, July 27 | USA vs. Australia | 4 a.m. | USA Network, Telemundo | fuboTV |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV channels | Stream |
| Fri, July 30 | QF 1: E2 vs. F2 | 4 a.m. | NBCSN | fuboTV |
| Fri, July 30 | QF 2: E1 vs. F3/G3 | 5 a.m. | TBD | fuboTV |
| Fri, July 30 | QF 3: G1 vs. E3/F3 | 6 a.m. | NBCSN | fuboTV |
| Fri, July 30 | QF 4: F1 vs. G2 | 7 a.m. | NBCSN | fuboTV |
Semifinals
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | TV channels | Stream |
| Mon, Aug. 2 | Semifinal 1: QF 1 winner vs. QF 4 winner | 4 a.m. | USA Network | fuboTV |
| Mon, Aug. 2 | Semifinal 2: QF 2 winner vs. QF 3 winner | 7 a.m. | USA Network | fuboTV |
Bronze-medal match
| Date | Match | Time | TV channels | Stream |
| Thurs, Aug. 5 | Bronze: Semifinal losers | 4 a.m. | USA Network | fuboTV |
Gold-medal match
| Date | Match | Time | TV channels | Stream |
| Thurs, Aug. 5 | Gold/silver: Semifinal winners | 10 p.m. | USA Network | fuboTV |