Soccer-Women's World Cup final eight is wide open, as sport sees a changing of the guard

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Round of 16 - England v Nigeria - Brisbane Football Stadium, Brisbane, Australia - August 7, 2023 England's Rachel Daly and Georgia Stanway celebrate during the penalty shootout REUTERS/Dan Peled

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Few could have predicted the eight teams still standing when the Women's World Cup kicked off three weeks - and more surprisingly, the teams who are gone.

In the most wide open World Cup in history, Colombia and France were the last two teams to clinch quarter-final berths Tuesday evening, joining Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Australia and England to close the curtain on a breathtaking first two rounds full of delicious twists and turns.