# England Lionesses Arrive in Brisbane Ahead of Women’s World Cup
The England Lionesses have arrived in Brisbane, Australia ahead of their opening Women’s World Cup match against Haiti on Saturday. To mark the occasion, the squad was treated to a traditional First Nations’ dance, including a rendition of “head, shoulders, knees and toes”.
The England Lionesses are one of 24 teams competing in the Women’s World Cup, which is being held in France this year. The tournament is the biggest ever women’s football event, with teams from all over the world competing for the title.
## England Lionesses’ World Cup Preparations
The England Lionesses have been preparing for the tournament since January, when they began their training camp in La Manga, Spain. During this time, they have played a number of friendly matches against other teams, including the Netherlands and Scotland.
The team has also been working hard on their fitness and tactical awareness, as well as honing their skills on the ball. Manager Phil Neville has been overseeing the preparations and has been impressed with the team’s progress.
## England Lionesses’ World Cup Fixtures
The England Lionesses will kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti on Saturday 9th June. They will then face Argentina on Thursday 14th June and Japan on Tuesday 19th June. All three of these matches will be played in Group D, with the top two teams progressing to the knockout stages.
The team will then face either Cameroon or New Zealand in the round of 16 on Saturday 22nd June. If they progress, they could face hosts France in the quarter-finals on Thursday 27th June. The semi-finals will take place on Tuesday 2nd July and the final will be held on Sunday 7th July.
## England Lionesses’ World Cup Hopes
The England Lionesses are one of the favourites to win the tournament this year and will be hoping to go one better than their third-place finish in 2015. Manager Phil Neville has assembled a talented squad and is confident that they can go all the way.
The team is full of experienced players such as Steph Houghton, Lucy Bronze and Karen Carney, as well as some exciting young talent like Fran Kirby and Georgia Stanway. With such a strong squad, the England Lionesses will be confident that they can make a deep run in the tournament and bring home the trophy.
READ MORE: [Things you probably didn’t know about history of the Women’s World Cup](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66123135)