As the Women's World Cup enters the business stage when the last 16 kicks off on Saturday, the surprises and shocks in the group stage have thrown up some mouth-watering fixtures, starting with the clash of former champions Norway and Japan.

There is a sense that the expanded 32-team format has improved the tournament after heavyweights Germany, Canada, Brazil and China were knocked out while minnows like Morocco and Jamaica advanced for the first time.

While Japan came through their group unscathed, Norway lost to co-hosts New Zealand in the tournament opener while a public spat threatened to derail their campaign before they eventually qualified.

"You can see the level of the World Cup is rising, so the women's game is growing fast," Norway coach Hege Riise told reporters.

"Everyone said it was an easy group, we knew it wasn't because it was a tight group for us. Playing the home team in the first game and not performing well was a little bit devastating for us.

"But after that we got better step-by-step and when we needed a good win we went on to play Philippines and won 6-0. So confidence in the team is rising."

Riise is no stranger to Japan having played club football in the country in the mid-1990s and she praised how far the Asian side has come since.

"When I played in Japan, I enjoyed every minute of it. Fantastic country, great players and the national team back then was not as good as they are now," Riise said.

"Now, they have developed quite fast and become a strong team."

Japan coach Futoshi Ikeda praised the teamwork that saw them keep three clean sheets in three wins to advance.

"Each player is performing their role. They're not only performing to their own capacity, but they are working as a unit. It's all about the collective," he said.

Underdogs Swiss meet Spain

Switzerland advanced with two goalless draws after a 2-0 win in the opener and coach Inka Grings has stressed on her team needing to be more assertive in attack when they play Spain.

"We have really understood that message and we have helped to convey that with videos," Grings said.

"Spain has very strong players ... We look at them as a compact and strong team."

Switzerland quietly won Group A with two scoreless draws and a 2-0 victory over the Philippines, which was playing in its first World Cup.

The Swiss have now drawn seven of their last 10 international matches, and in this World Cup, they are one of only three teams yet to concede a goal. The Swiss defense has been exceptional, but La Nati have never advanced to the quarterfinals of a major tournament.

Switzerland failed to qualify for six of the previous eight World Cups, and didn't enter in 1995. The Swiss reached the round of 16 in 2015, their only previous appearance in the World Cup.

"We played very well in our group stage and we understand that Spain might be the favorites," said Switzerland coach Inka Grings.

Spain, meanwhile, looked to be a top contender for the title following a 3-0 win over Costa Rica and a 5-0 rout of Zambia. But those two opponents were among the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament, with Zambia a World Cup debutante.

La Roja didn't look so ferocious when it ran into Japan, the 11th-ranked team in the world. The Japanese struck early and rolled over Spain in a lopsided 4-0 Group C finale.

The loss dropped Spain to second in the group despite scoring eight goals in its first two victories.

Spain was eliminated in group play in 2015, and the knockout round in 2019. La Roja is trying to reach the quarterfinals in its third World Cup appearance.