What's To Come In The World of Football In 2023

2022 has been a big year for football. Coming off the back of the huge Super League controversy in 2021, which ultimately failed before it even began; then there was the 2022 Qatar World Cup, which brought its own controversies.

Looking ahead to the coming year, 2023 has some huge events for football fans across the world to look forward to, with fans flocking to trusted sites like PowerPlay to cash in on the action. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest events on the 2023 football calendar.

Women’s World Cup

Women’s football has increased in popularity massively over the last five years or so, with more televised games than ever and many female players becoming household names. The huge win by the England’s women’s team in the Euros earlier in the year has helped to give it another giant boost in the UK in particular.

So, following on from the thrilling 2022 World Cup, The Women’s World Cup is coming next and is due to be held in Australia and New Zealand from the 20th of July to the 20th of August next year. This is bound to introduce a whole new generation of fans to the women’s game too.

There are some huge nations set to compete in the tournament, with the incredibly strong USA women’s team being the favourites with bookmarkers, although the English women’s team are a close 2nd.

Carabao Cup Final

The first major final in the English football calendar - the Carabao Cup final always provides an entertaining spectacle.

There are quite a few big names still left in the competition, with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City all vying for a place in the quarter finals along with teams like Gillgham, Blackburn Rovers and Charlton.

Of the round of 16 fixtures, it’s clear that Man City vs Liverpool is the one to watch. It’s almost never disappointing when the two teams meet, with their respective managers setting a new standard in English football over the last 5 years or so.

The final is set for Sunday 26th February at Wembley Stadium.

FA Cup Final

The FA Cup Final is another huge fixture in the English football calendar and draws a big worldwide audience every year.

There are plenty of Premier League teams still left in the competition among multiple teams from the lower divisions. Part of the magic of the FA Cup is seeing these smaller teams battle against the Premier League clubs, with multiple upcoming fixtures fitting that bill, including Tottenham vs Portsmouth, Arsenal vs Oxford United and Aston Villa vs Stevenage.

Upsets are always a big part of the FA Cup, so it’s unclear who will eventually make it to the final. Whatever the case, it’s not a game you want to miss.

The FA Cup Final 2023 takes place on the 3rd June at Wembley Stadium.

EFL Play-Off Finals

It’s easy to focus exclusively on the Premier League if you’re an English football fan but the EFL Play-Off Finals often provide some of the best drama around, with teams battling it out for a place in the Premier League.

The play-off matches are played by teams finished third to sixth in the Championship, with the matches being played over two legs. Things can change dramatically over the course of a season, particularly in a league as volatile as the Championship, so it’s not clear yet who the matches will be played by but one thing is for certain - you won’t want to miss them!

The EFL Play-Off Finals for 2023 will take place on 27th-29th May at Wembley Stadium.

Europa League Final

Moving onto European Football, the Europa League final is the first of two major finals between teams from Europe.

Although many fans dismiss the Europa League as being an inferior competition, at least when compared to the Champions League, it always provides some excellent games along the way and any team that reaches the final, is desperate to win it.

Recent winners of the competition include six-time winners Sevilla, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, who won it in 2017 and was the last major trophy Jose Mourinho won in his time at the club.

The 2023 Europa League Final will be held on 31st May at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary.

Champions League Final

Easily the biggest fixture in club football, the Champions League Final is a game that every player dreams of playing in.

Each year, the knockout stages of the Champions League provide some of the most exciting games in the sport. Recent memorable games include Liverpool’s incredible 4-0 comeback against Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur’s last minute winner against Ajax and Real Madrid’s dramatic comeback against Manchester City in the 2022 semi-finals.

The 2022/23 round of 16 has some huge fixtures for fans to look forward to, including PSG vs Bayern Munich, Liverpool vs Real Madrid and Dortmund vs Chelsea.

The 2023 final will take place on 10th June at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium.