Europe dominates as USA steps in to host

Germany win first Women's World Cup with victory over Sweden

1999 hosts USA step in to stage the tournament

Birgit Prinz wins Golden Ball and Golden Boot, Nia Kunzer produces golden goal in Final

On 17 July, 2003, at the group draw in the Home Depot Center, China PR coach Ma Liangxing symbolically handed over the FIFA Women's World Cup™ trophy to April Heinrichs, coach of new hosts USA. The 2003 finals would go ahead - but far away and on a different continent than originally planned.

Through April and May concerns over the SARS outbreak in China had the tournament in flux, and on 26 May, in order to the keep the event on schedule, FIFA regrettably informed the world that the new hosts would be USA. Despite tremendous pressure to organise the event, everything came off without a hitch, and football fans everywhere turned their gaze Stateside on 20 September.

What they saw was a host of familiar faces - Sun Wen, Mia Hamm, Bettina Wiegmann, Hege Riise and others were back - and some new ones, most notably finals debutants France, Korea Republic and Argentina.

A new champion was crowned in the form of Germany, inspired by the performances of Golden Ball and Golden Boot winner Birgit Prinz, who sealed victory in the final thanks to Nia Kunzer's golden goal.