2003 European heat wave
The predominant heat was recorded in July and August, partly a result of the western European seasonal lag from the maritime influence of the Atlantic warm waters in combination with hot continental air and strong southerly winds.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
In France, 14,802 heat-related deaths (mostly among the elderly) occurred during the heat wave, according to the French National Institute of Health. France does not commonly have very hot summers, particularly in the northern areas, but eight consecutive days with temperatures of more than 40 °C (104 °F) were recorded in Auxerre, Yonne in early August 2003.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
Because of the usually relatively mild summers, most people did not know how to react to very high temperatures (for instance, with respect to rehydration), and most single-family homes and residential facilities built in the last 50 years were not equipped with air conditioning. Furthermore, while contingency plans were made for a variety of natural and man-made catastrophes, high temperatures had rarely been considered a major hazard.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
The catastrophe occurred in August, a month in which many people, including government ministers and physicians, are on holiday. Many bodies were not claimed for many weeks because relatives were on holiday. A refrigerated warehouse outside Paris was used by undertakers as they did not have enough space in their own facilities. On 3 September 2003, 57 bodies were still left unclaimed in the Paris area, and were buried.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
The high number of deaths can be explained by the conjunction of seemingly unrelated events. Most nights in France are cool, even in summer. As a consequence, houses (usually of stone, concrete, or brick construction) do not warm too much during the daytime and radiate minimal heat at night, and air conditioning is usually unnecessary. During the heat wave, temperatures remained at record highs even at night, breaking the usual cooling cycle.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
Elderly persons living by themselves had never faced such extreme heat before and did not know how to react or were too mentally or physically impaired by the heat to make the necessary adaptations themselves. Elderly persons with family support or those residing in nursing homes were more likely to have others who could make the adjustments for them. This led to statistically improbable survival rates with the weakest group having fewer deaths than more physically fit persons; most of the heat victims came from the group of elderly persons not requiring constant medical care, and/or those living alone, without frequent contact with immediate family.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
That shortcomings of the nation's health system could allow such a death toll is a controversy in France. The administration of President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin laid the blame on families who had left their elderly behind without caring for them, the 35-hour workweek, which affected the amount of time doctors could work, and family practitioners vacationing in August. Many companies traditionally closed in August, so people had no choice about when to vacation. Family doctors were still in the habit of vacationing at the same time. It is not clear that more physicians would have helped, as the main limitation was not the health system, but locating old people needing assistance.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
The opposition, as well as many of the editorials of the French local press, have blamed the administration. Many blamed Health Minister Jean-François Mattei for failing to return from his vacation when the heat wave became serious, and his aides for blocking emergency measures in public hospitals (such as the recalling of physicians). A particularly vocal critic was Dr. Patrick Pelloux, head of the union of emergency physicians, who blamed the Raffarin administration for ignoring warnings from health and emergency professionals and trying to minimize the crisis. Mattei lost his ministerial post in a cabinet reshuffle on 31 March 2004.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
Not everyone blamed the government. "The French family structure is more dislocated than elsewhere in Europe, and prevailing social attitudes hold that once older people are closed behind their apartment doors or in nursing homes, they are someone else's problem," said Stéphane Mantion, an official with the French Red Cross. "These thousands of elderly victims didn't die from a heat wave as such, but from the isolation and insufficient assistance they lived with day in and out, and which almost any crisis situation could render fatal."


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
Moreover, the French episode of heat wave in 2003 shows how heat wave dangers result from the intricate association of natural and social factors. Although research established that heat waves represent a major threat for public health, France had no policy in place. Until the 2003 event, heat waves were a strongly underestimated risk in the French context, which partly explains the high number of victims.


2003 European heat wave, By country, France
Below are statistics for the month of August 2003 in France.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Portugal
In Portugal, an estimated 1,866 to 2,039 people died of heat-related causes. 1 August 2003 was the hottest day in centuries, with night temperatures well above 30 °C (86 °F). At dawn that same day, a freak storm developed in the southern region of the country. Over the next week, a hot, strong sirocco wind contributed to the spread of extensive forest-fires. Five percent of Portugal's countryside and 10% of the forests (215,000 hectares or an estimated 2,150 km2 (830 sq mi)), were destroyed, and 18 people died in the flames. In Amareleja, one of the hottest cities in Europe, temperatures reached as high as 48 °C (118 °F).


2003 European heat wave, By country, Luxembourg
In Findel, Luxembourg, the temperature reached 37.9 °C (100.2 °F) between 8 and 12 August, making it the country's highest temperature since records began in 1947.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Netherlands
About 1,500 heat-related deaths occurred in the Netherlands, again largely the elderly. The heat wave broke no records, although four tropical weather-designated days in mid-July, preceding the official wave, are not counted due to a cool day in between and the nature of the Netherlands specification/definition of a heat wave. The highest temperature recorded this heatwave was on 7 August, when in Arcen, in Limburg, a temperature of 37.8 °C (100.0 °F) was reached, 0.8 °C below the national record (since 1904). A higher temperature had only been recorded twice before. On 8 August, a temperature of 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) was recorded, and 12 August had a temperature of 37.2 °C (99.0 °F).


2003 European heat wave, By country, Spain
Initially, 141 deaths were attributed to the heat wave in Spain. A further research of INE estimated a 12,963 excess of deaths during summer of 2003. Temperature records were broken in various cities, with the heat wave being more felt in typically cooler northern Spain.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Italy
546 deaths. The summer of 2003 was among the warmest in the last three centuries, and the maximum temperatures of July and August remained above 30 °C (86 °F). The high humidity intensified the perception of heat and population suffering. Several reports about strong positive temperature anomalies exist – for instance from Toscana and Veneto. Temperatures rose far above average in most of the country and reached very high mean values especially in terms of heat persistence.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Italy
The weather station of Catenanuova, in Sicily, had a monthly mean of 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) in July 2003, with an absolute maximum of 46.0 °C (114.8 °F) on 17 July, with monthly mean maximum temperatures of 36.0 °C (96.8 °F), 38.9 °C (102.0 °F) and 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) in June, July, and August 2003, respectively. Some days, the increase in power consumption, paired with a 800MW reduction of the electricity imported from France, itself coping with the heat wave, compelled the Italian power companies to set up Rolling blackouts.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Germany
In Germany, shipping could not navigate the Elbe or Danube, as a result of low water levels. Around 300 people—mostly elderly—died during the 2003 heatwave in Germany.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Switzerland
Melting glaciers in the Alps caused avalanches and flash floods in Switzerland. A new nationwide record temperature of 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) was recorded in Grono, Graubünden.


2003 European heat wave, By country, United Kingdom
The United Kingdom experienced one of its hottest summers on record with temperatures well above average. However, Atlantic cyclones brought cool and wet weather for a short while at the end of July and beginning of August before the temperatures started to increase substantially from 3 August onwards. Several weather records were broken in the United Kingdom, including a new record for the country's highest ever recorded temperature of 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) at Faversham in Kent on 10 August, which remained the highest recorded temperature in the UK until the heatwave in July 2019. This was the first occasion on which temperatures exceeding 100 °F (38 °C) have ever been officially recorded in the UK. Scotland also broke its highest temperature record with 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) recorded in Greycrook in the Scottish borders on 9 August.


2003 European heat wave, By country, United Kingdom
Due to a number of deaths, the UK government released its Heat Health Watch system, issuing warnings if temperatures rise above 30 °C in the day and 15 °C at night. According to the BBC, over 2,000 people more than usual may have died in the United Kingdom during the 2003 heatwave.


2003 European heat wave, By country, United Kingdom
The tarmac melted on part of the M25 between Junctions 26 and 27, and rails buckled from expansion on the hottest day in England in 13 years, while 2 teenaged boys drowned while trying to escape the excessive heat.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Ireland
The summer of 2003 was warmer than average in Ireland, but the heat was far less pronounced there than in the rest of Europe. August was by far the warmest, sunniest, and driest month, with temperatures roughly 2 °C above average. The highest temperature recorded was 30.3 °C (86.5 °F) at Belderrig, County Mayo on 8 August.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Sweden
Remarkably, Scandinavia saw a cooler August in 2003 than the previous year when comparative temperatures were very high for the latitude, as the hot air parked over continental Europe. Only far southern Sweden saw any type of heatwave effect in the country, with the average high of Lund for August being 23.9 °C (75.0 °F), which is a very warm temperature average for August. In spite of this, Skåne County stayed below extremes of 30 °C (86 °F), indicating a more subtle kind of heat.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Sweden
The records from 1997 and 2002 held up all throughout the country, and the warmest temperature was 30.8 °C (87.4 °F) in Stockholm on 1 August, which was higher than the warmest Irish temperature. Although a comparatively low exposure to the heatwave this is to be expected given the greater continental influence. When compared with the 1961–1990 averages the 2003 August month was still a couple of degrees warmer than a normal August in the southern third of the country.


2003 European heat wave, By country, Sweden
The bulk of the heat wave in Sweden was instead seen earlier in July in the central and northerly parts of the country, where Stockholm had a July mean of 20.2 °C (68.4 °F) with a high of 25.4 °C (77.7 °F) which although very warm was not record-setting. The warmest summer temperature was set on 17 July in the northern city of Piteå with 32.8 °C (91.0 °F), which although it is very hot for such a northerly coastal location, was largely unrelated to the latter central European intense heat wave. In northern Sweden, August temperatures are rarely warm due to the decreased exposure of the low but everlasting sun during the summer solstice. As a result, temperatures there peak in July if it is a warm summer.


2003 European heat wave, Effects on crops, Wheat
These shortfalls in wheat harvest occurred as a result of the long drought.


2003 European heat wave, Effects on crops, Wheat
Many other countries had shortfalls of 5–10%, and the EU total production was down by 10 million tonnes, or 10%.


2003 European heat wave, Effects on crops, Grapes
The heatwave greatly accelerated the ripening of grapes; also, the heat dehydrated the grapes, making for more concentrated juice. By mid-August, the grapes in certain vineyards had already reached their optimal sugar content, possibly resulting in 12.0°–12.5° wines (see alcoholic degree). Because of that, and also of the impending change to rainy weather, the harvest was started much earlier than usual (e.g. in mid-August for areas that are normally harvested in September).


2003 European heat wave, Effects on crops, Grapes
The wines from 2003, although in scarce quantity, were predicted to have exceptional quality, especially in France. The heatwave made Hungary fare extremely well in the Vinalies 2003 International wine contest: a total of nine gold and nine silver medals were awarded to Hungarian winemakers.


2003 European heat wave, Effects on the sea
The anomalous overheating affecting the atmosphere also created anomalies on sea surface stratification in the Mediterranean Sea and on the surface currents, as well. A seasonal current of the central Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ionian Stream (AIS), was affected by the warm temperatures, resulting in modifications in its path and intensity. The AIS is important for the reproduction biology of important pelagic commercial fish species, so the heatwave may have influenced indirectly the stocks of these species.


2003 Exeter City Council election
The 2003 Exeter City Council election took place on 1 May 2003, to elect members of Exeter City Council in Devon, England. The election was held concurrently with other local elections in England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour Party lost control of the council, which it had held since 1995.


2003 Extremaduran regional election
The 2003 Extremaduran regional election was held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 6th Assembly of the autonomous community of Extremadura. All 65 seats in the Assembly were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.


2003 Extremaduran regional election
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which in this election ran in coalition with the Extremaduran Coalition, enlarged its absolute majority from 34 to 36 seats, at the cost of the opposition People's Party (PP), which fell to 26 and lost ground for the first time since the 1987 election. United Left (IU), which formed a coalition with the Independent Socialists of Extremadura (SIEx), maintained its 3 seats but was unable to make gains.


2003 Extremaduran regional election
Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra was elected for his sixth and last term in office as President of the Regional Government of Extremadura, as he would announce in September 2006 he would not stand for re-election in 2007.


2003 Extremaduran regional election, Overview, Electoral system
The Assembly of Extremadura was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Extremadura, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Extremaduran Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.


2003 Extremaduran regional election, Overview, Electoral system
Voting for the Assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in Extremadura and in full enjoyment of their political rights. The 65 members of the Assembly of Extremadura were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Alternatively, parties failing to reach the threshold in one of the constituencies were also entitled to enter the seat distribution as long as they ran candidates in both districts and reached five percent regionally. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Badajoz and Cáceres, with each being allocated an initial minimum of 20 seats and the remaining 25 being distributed in proportion to their populations.


2003 Extremaduran regional election, Overview, Electoral system
The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure the signature of at least 2 percent of the electors registered in the constituency for which they sought election. Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election being called.


2003 Extremaduran regional election, Overview, Election date
The term of the Assembly of Extremadura expired four years after the date of its previous election. Elections to the Assembly were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 13 June 1999, setting the election date for the Assembly on Sunday, 25 May 2003.


2003 Extremaduran regional election, Overview, Election date
The president had the prerogative to dissolve the Assembly of Extremadura and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no nationwide election was due and some time requirements were met: namely, that dissolution did not occur either during the first legislative session or within the legislature's last year ahead of its scheduled expiry, nor before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution under this procedure.


2003 Extremaduran regional election, Overview, Election date
In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Assembly was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called. Any snap election held as a result of these circumstances would not alter the period to the next ordinary election, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.


2003 Extremaduran regional election, Opinion polls
The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font. 33 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Assembly of Extremadura.


2003 FA Community Shield
The 2003 FA Community Shield (also known as The FA Community Shield in partnership with McDonald's for sponsorship reasons) was the 81st staging of the FA Community Shield, an annual football match contested by the reigning champions of the Premier League and the holders of the FA Cup. It was held at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on 10 August 2003. The match pitted Manchester United, champions of the 2002–03 Premier League against Arsenal, who beat Southampton 1–0 in the 2003 FA Cup Final. Manchester United won the Shield 4–3 on penalties, as neither side could be separated after a 1–1 draw in 90 minutes.


2003 FA Community Shield
This was Manchester United's 22nd Community Shield appearance and Arsenal's 17th. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson assessed before the match that his midfield was stronger than before, despite selling first-team players David Beckham and Juan Sebastián Verón. Arsène Wenger was optimistic of Arsenal's prospects in the upcoming season despite having only made minor changes to his squad, and Chelsea's emergence as a competitor following Roman Abramovich's takeover. Having been linked with a transfer away in the summer, Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira revealed before the game his intention to stay at the club.


2003 FA Community Shield
Goalkeepers Tim Howard and Jens Lehmann made their competitive debuts for their respective clubs in the match. Ole Gunnar Solskjær started in midfield for Manchester United and Paul Scholes played behind the main striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy. For Arsenal, Kolo Touré partnered Sol Campbell in central defence as Martin Keown was absent. Mikaël Silvestre gave Manchester United the lead in the 15th minute from a corner, but Thierry Henry equalised for Arsenal five minutes later from a free-kick. In the second half, substitute Francis Jeffers was sent off for kicking out at Phil Neville. Neither team was able to score in the remaining time, so the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out. Howard saved the decisive spot-kick taken by Robert Pires.


2003 FA Community Shield
Both managers were pleased with their teams' performances, in particular Ferguson, who felt his players coped well in the heat. The 2003 Community Shield brought its lowest crowd since 1995; Wenger reasoned there was "less and less appetite" for the event.


2003 FA Community Shield, Background
Founded in 1908 as a successor to the Sheriff of London Charity Shield, the FA Community Shield began as a contest between the respective champions of the Football League and Southern League, although in 1913, it was played between an Amateurs XI and a Professionals XI. In 1921, it was played by the league champions of the top division and FA Cup winners for the first time. Wembley Stadium acted as the host of the Shield from 1974. Cardiff's Millennium Stadium was hosting the Shield for the third time; it took over as the venue for the event while Wembley Stadium underwent a six-year renovation between 2001 and 2006.


2003 FA Community Shield, Background
Manchester United qualified for the 2003 FA Community Shield by winning the Premier League – their eighth championship in 11 years. Despite making their worst start to a league campaign since the 1989–90 season, the team finished five points clear of second-placed Arsenal, the pre-season favourites. Arsenal's campaign was compensated by an appearance in the 2003 FA Cup Final; the team beat Southampton 1–0 to retain the trophy and qualify for the Community Shield.


2003 FA Community Shield, Background
Manchester United were appearing in the Community Shield for the 22nd time, having won 10 outright (1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1983, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997), sharing four (1965, 1967, 1977, 1990) and losing seven (1948, 1963, 1985, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001). In contrast, Arsenal appeared in 16 previous Shields, likewise winning 10 outright (1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1998, 1999, 2002), while sharing one (1991) and losing five (1935, 1936, 1979, 1989, 1993). This was the fifth meeting between the two clubs in the Community Shield; Arsenal won three of those meetings to Manchester United's one.


2003 FA Community Shield, Pre-match
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said before the Community Shield that new signings Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kléberson had made his midfield stronger, in spite of selling first-team players David Beckham and Juan Sebastián Verón: "The two of them give us youth in that department and I think it's important to have young legs in there, particularly with the amount of games we play."


2003 FA Community Shield, Pre-match
Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira revealed his intention to stay at the club, despite interest from Chelsea, who had been acquired by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in the summer. Manager Arsène Wenger used his press conference to look ahead to the new season and felt his team's chances were as good, if not better than Chelsea's: "I can understand that we look a little bit poor and out of shape but what is important is what happens on the pitch and you will see that we look good. To write us off just because we haven't spent £100 million is a bit easy."


2003 FA Community Shield, Pre-match
Neither United nor Arsenal made noticeable changes to their squad, but Ferguson believed both teams would remain the ones to beat in the Premier League: "There's only really ourselves and Arsenal who know what it takes to win the Premiership. It's not an easy thing to achieve. You need experience."


2003 FA Community Shield, Match, Team selection
Goalkeeper Tim Howard started his first competitive match for Manchester United, replacing Fabien Barthez, while Quinton Fortune was selected at left-back ahead of John O'Shea. They lined up in a 4–4–1–1 formation, with forward Ole Gunnar Solskjær positioned on the right wing and Paul Scholes playing just off the main striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy. For Arsenal, Jens Lehmann made his first competitive appearance. The team lined up in a 4–4–2 formation. Kolo Touré was paired with defender Sol Campbell at centre-back in the absence of Martin Keown.


2003 FA Community Shield, Match, Summary
The stadium observed a minute's silence in memory of Ray Harford and Manchester United reserve player Jimmy Davis, who both died on 9 August 2003. Arsenal kicked off the match and within the first two minutes Phil Neville and Ashley Cole were booked for mistimed tackles. The match settled into "a more sedate rhythm" soon after, and in the 13th minute, Scholes' long pass found Solskjær, who was subsequently tackled; the ball ran out for a corner.


2003 FA Community Shield, Match, Summary
It was delivered by Ryan Giggs and the ball was flicked on by Roy Keane at the near post – an unmarked Mikaël Silvestre headed it into the net, which gave United the lead. It was short-lived, however; in the 18th minute, Nicky Butt conceded a free-kick for a foul on Vieira. From "about 33 yards out", Henry shot the ball past United's wall and beat Howard in goal. Arsenal's equaliser did not hand them the impetus, for United continued to control proceedings. Silvestre's cross in the 28th minute fashioned a chance for Giggs, though Arsenal's defence prevented him from getting a shot. Giggs came close to scoring five minutes later; a cross by Butt found the Welshman whose effort hit the post. United finished the half with two half-chances.


2003 FA Community Shield, Match, Summary
Ray Parlour and Henry came off in the second half for Robert Pires and Sylvain Wiltord. United created an early chance, but Van Nistelrooy was unable to make the most of Giggs' delivery. The player went down in the penalty area under the challenge of Campbell, prompting United players to appeal for a penalty; however, referee Steve Bennett decided to let play continue. Arsenal countered twice thereafter, but their attacks broke down on both counts. Vieira, Scholes and Quinton Fortune were booked for tackles during a 10-minute spell.


2003 FA Community Shield, Match, Summary
Both clubs made substitutions in the midway point of the second half: for Arsenal, Bergkamp, Gilberto and Ljungberg were replaced by Francis Jeffers, Edu and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, whereas for United, Butt and Fortune came off for Eric Djemba-Djemba and John O'Shea. In the 72nd minute, Jeffers was shown a red card for kicking out at Neville. Ferguson brought on striker Diego Forlán for Neville six minutes later. Djemba-Djemba avoided a yellow card for his challenge on Campbell in the 80th minute; Bennett deemed it unintentional.


2003 FA Community Shield, Match, Summary
The game descended into a scrappy affair in the last few minutes, with few clear cut chances for either side. With no further goals, it was decided by penalties. Scholes, Edu and Ferdinand converted their kicks, before Howard saved Van Bronkhorst's effort. Van Nistelrooy missed his and Wiltord scored to level the tally at 2–2 in the shoot-out. Solskjær, Lauren and Forlán scored, but Pires missed – his effort saved by Howard – which won United the Shield, 4–3 on penalties.


2003 FA Community Shield, Post-match
Henry Winter of The Daily Telegraph opined that, injuries to players aside, "The Community Shield itself experienced most damage". Arsenal returned 8,000 of their ticket allocation, while transport problems meant spectators were unable to reach Cardiff in time. A crowd of 59,923 was the Shield's lowest in eight years.


2003 FA Community Shield, Post-match
Ferguson was delighted in how his team coped with the pitchside temperatures: "You had to be down there to appreciate it. I was told it was 41 degrees on the pitch – I know I was roasting just watching them." When asked about Howard's positioning for Arsenal's equaliser, he replied: "Tim wanted three in the wall and he will learn from that. This isn't America." Silvestre denied suggestions that the win gave United a psychological edge over Arsenal: "This is still a pre-season game. We won the Premiership title with a strong run at the end of last season." Howard was unsure whether he would displace Barthez in the first team for a prolonged run – "that's not my decision", though continued "We have four great goalkeepers and we're looking to have a good battle all season long."


2003 FA Community Shield, Post-match
Wenger was content with his team's performance: "We are at only 80% fitness and still we got a draw with Manchester United," and thought his defence stood firm against United's attack. He felt Jeffers' dismissal was "deserved" for overreacting, but added, "He's apologised. He realised he made a mistake. He's intelligent, he's young and he'll learn." The performance of Lehmann encouraged the Arsenal manager; he noted that the goalkeeper was "amazed to see the referee wave play on after one aerial challenge." Wenger made reference to Arsenal's low crowd turnout and suggested it meant there was "less and less appetite" for the Shield.


2003 FA Cup Final
The 2003 FA Cup Final was the 122nd final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The final took place on Saturday 17 May 2003 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, in front of a crowd of 73,726. It was the third consecutive year the final was played at the stadium, due to the ongoing reconstruction of Wembley Stadium, the final's usual venue. The 2003 final was the first to be played indoors; the roof was closed because of bad weather. The clubs contesting the final were Arsenal, the holders of the competition and Southampton. This was Arsenal's sixteenth appearance in a final to Southampton's fourth.


2003 FA Cup Final
As Premier League clubs, Arsenal and Southampton entered the FA Cup in the third round, which meant each club needed to progress through five rounds to reach the final. Arsenal made a convincing start, they won their opening three rounds, but needed a sixth-round replay against Chelsea. By contrast, Southampton played one replay in the fourth round against Millwall. Arsenal entered the match as favourites and had beaten Southampton 6–1 nine days earlier in the league. Goalkeeper David Seaman captained Arsenal in the absence of the injured Patrick Vieira; it was to be Seaman's last appearance for the club. In defence for Southampton, Chris Baird made only his second competitive start. Chris Marsden captained the club in the absence of the injured club captain, Jason Dodd.


2003 FA Cup Final
Arsenal began the match more effectively of the two and scored what proved to be the winning goal in the latter minutes of the first half – Freddie Ljungberg's rebounded goal effort was converted by Robert Pires. Midway through the second half, Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi was substituted, as he strained his calf muscle; he was replaced by Paul Jones. In stoppage time, striker James Beattie had his header cleared off the line by Ashley Cole, in what was the final chance for Southampton.


2003 FA Cup Final
Arsenal's win made them the first team to retain the trophy since Tottenham Hotspur in 1982. They later played against league champions Manchester United in the 2003 FA Community Shield. Given Arsenal had already qualified for Europe via their league position, their UEFA Cup spot was awarded to runners-up Southampton.


2003 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, receiving a bye as a Premier League club. Their opening match was a 2–0 home win against Oxford United on 4 January 2003. Striker Dennis Bergkamp scored his 100th goal for the club and an own goal by defender Scott McNiven ensured progression to the next round. Arsenal faced non-league side Farnborough Town; the match switched from Farnborough's ground at Cherrywood Road to Highbury due to concerns over safety. Farnborough began the match as the home team and conceded the first goal, scored by Arsenal defender Sol Campbell in the 19th minute.


2003 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
They went down to ten men after Christian Lee was sent off for a professional foul in the 28th minute. Francis Jeffers scored twice before Rocky Baptiste added a consolation, beating Pascal Cygan for pace and despite having his first shot saved by goalkeeper Stuart Taylor, he managed to lift the ball over him and into the net. Lauren and Bergkamp each scored in the final 15 minutes to give Arsenal a 5–1 victory.


2003 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
Arsenal's fifth round match was away to league rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on 16 February 2003. After Ryan Giggs missed the chance to score past an open goal, midfielder Edu gave Arsenal the lead through a free kick which took a deflection off David Beckham's shoulder. Striker Sylvain Wiltord scored the second goal of the match in the 52nd minute, running onto a pass from Edu and side-footing the ball past goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.


2003 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira said of the performance: "We knew when we lost here in the league that we had lost the battle in midfield. We had to put that right, and we did." In the sixth round, Arsenal was drawn at home to Chelsea in a repeat of the previous season's final. Chelsea defender John Terry put Chelsea ahead with a header from a set piece before Arsenal responded through Jeffers and Thierry Henry. Frank Lampard scored a late equaliser for the visiting team meaning the match was replayed at Stamford Bridge.


2003 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
An own goal by Terry and a strike by Wiltord in the space of seven minutes during the replay gave Arsenal an early lead against Chelsea. Despite going down to ten men after Cygan was sent off and Terry scoring from a header, the away team scored a third goal through Lauren to ensure progression into the semi-finals. In the semi-final against Sheffield United on 13 April 2003 at Old Trafford, Freddie Ljungberg scored the winning goal to help Arsenal reach their third successive FA Cup final appearance. The match was best remembered for David Seaman's late save, which prevented Sheffield United from equalising.


2003 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, Southampton
Like Arsenal, as a Premier League club, Southampton received a bye into the third round. Their opening match was a 4–0 win against fellow league club Tottenham Hotspur. A goal by defender Michael Svensson and three from Jo Tessem, Anders Svensson and James Beattie in the second half was the second straight victory against Tottenham, having beaten them on New Year's Day in the league. In the fourth round, Southampton was drawn at home to First Division club Millwall on 25 January 2003. The visitors took the lead through striker Steve Claridge but were denied victory. 90 seconds from the end of the match as Southampton striker Kevin Davies scored from a rebounded shot. In the replay, midfielder Matthew Oakley scored twice for Southampton (one in both halves) either side of a Steven Reid equaliser for Millwall.


2003 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, Southampton
Southampton's fifth round match was against Norwich City at home on 5 February 2003. Two goals in the space of three minutes, scored by Svensson and Tessem was enough to take the team into the quarter-finals. Southampton defender Claus Lundekvam was pleased with the win and said following the match: "When you get to this stage in the competition you have to believe you can win it." The club then faced Wolverhampton Wanderers at home in the following round.


2003 FA Cup Final, Route to the final, Southampton
Former Wolves player Chris Marsden gave Southampton the lead right in the 56th minute and with nine minutes remaining of normal time, the team added a second goal when Jo Tessem's shot took a deflection off Paul Butler's legs to go inside the goal net. The victory meant Southampton reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in 17 years. At Villa Park, Southampton played First Division team Watford on 13 April 2003. Brett Ormerod opened the scoring two minutes before half time and set up the second goal which saw the ball being taken over the line by Watford defender Paul Robinson. Despite Marcus Gayle scoring a late header to half the scoreline Southampton won the match.


2003 FA Cup Final, Pre-match
Arsenal was appearing in the final of the FA Cup for the sixteenth time. They had won the cup eight times previously (in 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998 and 2002) and had been beaten in the final seven times, the most recent in 2001. By comparison, Southampton made their fourth appearance in a FA Cup final. Their previous best was winning the cup in 1976, by beating opponents Manchester United.


2003 FA Cup Final, Pre-match
Both clubs received an allocation of approximately 25,000 tickets, with the remaining 25,000 being sent out to other clubs. 17,500 of those tickets were available to Southampton season ticket holders. Seat prices for the final exceeded £80, with the cheapest tickets available at £25. Southampton was given the South Stand, which was the larger end of the stadium, whereas Arsenal was situated at the opposite end.


2003 FA Cup Final, Pre-match
Although Southampton supporters were disappointed at the allocation share, chairman Rupert Lowe refused to criticise the FA's decision, by saying: "The reality is that too many people want to go and there are never enough tickets." In the lead up to the final, the South Wales Echo reported that many tickets were being sold on the black market, for "20 times" the face-value price.


2003 FA Cup Final, Pre-match
Nine days before the final, the two clubs faced each other in a league match at Highbury (Arsenal's former stadium). With Arsenal unable to retain the title, having lost to Leeds United, manager Arsène Wenger rested several players, as did Southampton manager Gordon Strachan, whose team started without six of their first-choice eleven. Winger Jermaine Pennant on his league debut scored a hat-trick, as did Pires, in a 6–1 win. Strachan believed the result had little bearing on their chances of winning the cup, noting: "There is little pressure on Southampton to lift the trophy. We were not expected to reach the final and have already clinched a place in the UEFA Cup."


2003 FA Cup Final, Pre-match
The traditional Cup Final hymn, "Abide with Me" was sung by Tony Henry, an opera singer from South London. Sir Bobby Robson was invited as the FA's chief guest for the final and performed several duties ordinarily reserved for royalty, such as presenting the trophy to the winning captain. Heavy rain on Friday night and forecasted showers in Cardiff meant the final would be the first to be played indoors; the stadium closed its retractable roof and floodlights were used to light up the ground.


2003 FA Cup Final, Match, Team selection
Vieira was ruled out of the match because of a knee injury during the FA Cup semi-final match against Sheffield United, so Wenger named David Seaman as Arsenal's captain for the match. In a match widely anticipated as his final for the club. With Campbell suspended and Cygan absent due to a thigh strain, Wenger picked Oleg Luzhny to pair up with Martin Keown, who was rested the previous Sunday away against Sunderland. For Southampton, the major absentee was their striker Marian Pahars, who underwent a third operation to overcome a troubling knee injury. Defender Chris Baird made his second competitive start for the club and Chris Marsden captained Southampton, given Jason Dodd's absence with an injury. Although both teams set up in a 4–4–2 formation, Bergkamp was positioned as a deep-lying forward behind Henry.


2003 FA Cup Final, Match, Report
Arsenal created their first chance inside 24 seconds of the match, when Ljungberg put Henry clear down the right-hand side. The striker used his pace to get the better of Lundekvam, only to have his shot blocked by Southampton goalkeeper Antti Niemi. Bergkamp's goal effort in the eighth minute was cleared off the line by full back Chris Baird, after Niemi fumbled Henry's initial shot. Southampton fashioned their first opportunity in the 15th minute through a high cross; in spite of unsettling the Arsenal defence, the unmarked Svensson volleyed over the bar.


2003 FA Cup Final, Match, Report
Baird moments after won the ball in midfield and curled a shot that left Seaman "scrambling across his goal to save". Seven minutes before the break, Arsenal went into the lead. Henry, receiving the ball from Parlour, slipped it into Bergkamp down the right. He in turn fed the ball to Ljungberg, whose shot was blocked. The ball rebounded in the direction of Pires, who took one touch to set himself and another to fire into the goal at the near post, despite Niemi getting a hand to the ball. Arsenal missed further chances to extend their lead when a cross from the right by Henry was shot over the bar by Pires and from the same area, Bergkamp's "cross-cum-shot" was missed by Ljungberg.


2003 FA Cup Final, Match, Report
After the break, Southampton applied pressure and a poor clearance by Seaman invited a chance for Paul Telfer to shoot the ball from "35 yards out"; his pass found Ormerod, but was eventually intercepted by Luzhny. Minutes after, Beattie failed to take advantage from Oakley's cross, as the ball drifted wide. Arsenal regained possession and in the 52nd minute went close to doubling their lead. In Southampton's penalty box, Bergkamp turned and beat Ormerod before curling a shot which Niemi palmed off; it fell to the feet of Ljungberg, who shot the ball into the side-netting.


2003 FA Cup Final, Match, Report
Telfer misguided his header from a Southampton corner, before Niemi denied Henry again. In the 65th minute, Niemi injured himself, in an attempt to clear the ball and was replaced by substitute Paul Jones. Both clubs made substitutions in the final third of the game, with Wiltord coming on for Bergkamp and Tessem replacing Svensson. Ormerod's goal-bound effort was saved by Seaman with 10 minutes remaining of the match. In the fourth minute of injury time, Southampton earned themselves a corner. Beattie's on-target header was cleared off the line by Ashley Cole and out for another corner, which Pires kicked out in the final action of the game. In which Arsenal won their 10th FA Cup trophy.


2003 FA Cup Final, Post-match
In retaining the cup, Arsenal became the first team to do so since Tottenham Hotspur in 1982. Wenger commented after the game that his team "got the trophy we wanted" while Strachan was in admiration of Southampton's performance: "I'm very proud of the way they competed. I couldn't have asked for any more." Keown said the FA Cup win was "the best ever" and Seaman felt the disappointment of losing out to Manchester United in the league spurred the team on. Football pundits Alan Hansen, Peter Schmeichel and Mark Hughes unanimously agreed that Arsenal deserved to win the match.


2003 FA Cup Final, Post-match
Arsenal's victory set up a Community Shield match against Manchester United, the winners of the 2002–03 Premier League. The FA Cup winners are awarded qualification into the UEFA Cup, but because Arsenal qualified for the UEFA Champions League via their league position, the UEFA Cup place was passed to Southampton, the runners-up.


2003 FA Cup Final, Post-match
The match was broadcast live in the United Kingdom by both the BBC and Sky Sports, with BBC One providing the free-to-air coverage and Sky Sports 1 being the pay-TV alternative. BBC One held the majority of the viewership, with a peak audience of 9.6 million viewers (55.7% viewing share) watching at 16:50pm and the match averaged at 8.3 million (55%) – the highest audience for a FA Cup final in four years. Coverage of the final began on the channel at 12:10pm and averaged 5.3 million (44.4%). The Match of the Day coverage concluded at different times dependent on station, with the broadcast in Scotland ending 10 minutes before the main broadcast finished.


2003 FA Premier League Asia Cup
The 2003 FA Premier League Asia Cup was the first edition of the Premier League Asia Trophy, a four-team pre-season football tournament held every two years. Participants in the inaugural edition included hosts Malaysia and three Premier League teams: Chelsea, Newcastle United and Birmingham City. All games were held at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.


2003 FA Premier League Asia Cup
The tournament began at the semi-final stage, with the winners advancing to the final and the losers playing off for third place. Chelsea became the inaugural winners of this tournament after defeating Newcastle United on penalties in the final.


2003 FA Trophy Final
The 2003 FA Trophy Final was the 34th final of The Football Association's cup competition for levels 5–8 of the English football league system. It was contested by Burscough and Tamworth on 18 May 2003 at Villa Park in Birmingham.


2003 FA Trophy Final
Burscough won the match 2–1 to win the competition for the first time in their history.


2003 FA Trophy Final, Road to Villa Park, Tamworth
As Tamworth were a Conference National club, they entered the competition in the second round. Tamworth's cup run started with a home tie against their league rivals, Accrington Stanley. They went on to win the game 4–1. In the third round, the team was drawn at home against local rivals Nuneaton Borough, in which they won the game 3–0.


2003 FA Women's Cup Final
The 2003 FA Women's Cup Final was an association football match between Fulham Ladies and Charlton Athletic Women on 5 May 2003 at Selhurst Park in London, England. It was the 33rd final overall of the FA Women's Cup, a cup competition originally organised by the Women's Football Association (WFA) between 1970 and 1993, and by The Football Association (FA) since 1993. It was the third successive final for Fulham following their defeat by Arsenal Women in 2001 and their victory over Doncaster Rovers Belles the previous year. The teams had not met before in the FA Women's Cup Final. This was Charlton Athletic's fourth final overall but first under their current name, they had played the previous three as Croydon Women.


2003 FA Women's Cup Final
The match was played in front of a crowd of 10,389. Charlton almost took the lead after 40 seconds through Amanda Barr but her presentable chance was shot into the side netting. Fulham took the lead in the 18th-minute with a volley scored by Kristy Moore. Charlton's Karen Hills scored an own goal in the 36th-minute to double Fulham's lead, which they maintained to half time. Another own goal from Charlton, this time scored by Fara Williams in the 61st-minute, gave Fulham a 3–0 lead which was the final score. Fulham won the FA Women's Cup for a second time, making it the seventh final in which the previous year's winner was able to retain the cup.


2003 FC Anzhi Makhachkala season
The 2003 FC Anzhi Makhachkala season was the club's 1st back in the First Division, following their relegation from the Russian Top Division the previous season. They finished the season in 6th place, reaching the semifinals of the 2002–03 Russian Cup and the fifth round of the 2003–04 Russian Cup.


2003 FC Anzhi Makhachkala season, Transfers, Winter
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 FC Anzhi Makhachkala season, Transfers, Winter
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 FC Anzhi Makhachkala season, Transfers, Summer
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 FC Anzhi Makhachkala season, Transfers, Summer
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 FC Barcelona Dragons season
The 2003 FC Barcelona Dragons season was the 11th and final season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Jack Bicknell in his 11th year, and played its home games at Mini Estadi in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. They finished the regular season in fourth place with a record of five wins and five losses.


2003 FC Rubin Kazan season
The 2003 FC Rubin Kazan season was the club's 1st season in the Russian Premier League, the highest tier of association football in Russia. They finished the season in third position, qualifying for the 2004–05 UEFA Cup, and reached the Round of 32 in the Russian Cup, with the Round of 16 taking place in the 2004 season.


2003 FC Rubin Kazan season, Squad, On loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 FC Rubin Kazan season, Squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 FC Rubin Kazan season, Competitions, Russian Cup, 2003-04
The Round of 16 games took place during the 2004 season.


2003 FC Spartak Moscow season
The 2003 FC Spartak Moscow season was the club's 12th season in the Russian Premier League season. Spartak finished the season in 10th position, qualifying for the 2004 UEFA Intertoto Cup. In the Russian Cup, Spartak won the 2002–03 cup, whilst they were knocked out of the 2003–04 cup at the Round of 32 stage by Kuban Krasnodar. In Europe, Spartak reached the Third Round of the UEFA Cup which also took place during the 2004 season.


2003 FC Spartak Moscow season, Season events
On 7 November, Wojciech Kowalewski made his loan move from Shakhtar Donetsk permanent by signing a five-year contract with Spartak.


2003 FC Spartak Moscow season, Squad, On loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 FC Spartak Moscow season, Squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 FC Zenit Saint Petersburg season
The 2003 Zenit St.Petersburg season was the club's ninth season in the Russian Premier League, the highest tier of association football in Russia.


2003 FC Zenit Saint Petersburg season, Competitions, Russian Cup, 2002/03
Round 16 2nd leg took place during the 2004 season.


2003 FESPIC Youth Games
The 2003 FESPIC Youth Games, officially known as the 1st, Final and Only FESPIC Youth Games（Chinese：2003年第一屆遠東和南太平洋地區青年殘疾人運動會、2003年第一届远东和南太平洋地区青年残疾人运动会、第一屆遠南青殘會、第一届远南青残会）, was an Asia Pacific youth disabled multi-sport event held in Hong Kong, China from 23 to 27 September 2003. Around 314 athletes from 15 participating nations participated at the games which featured 5 sports.


2003 FESPIC Youth Games
Hong Kong is the only nation that had hosted the FESPIC Youth Games, hence it was the first and only time Hong Kong hosted the games. The games was opened by Tung Chee Hwa at the Ma On Shan Sports Ground.


2003 FESPIC Youth Games
The final medal tally was led by China, followed by Malaysia, Japan, and host Hong Kong. Several games and national records were broken during the games. The games were deemed generally successful with the rising standard of disabled sports competition among the Pacific and Asian nations for other active sports tournaments. Later in 2006, the FESPIC organisation was officially defunct, and since then, the Asian Countries participate at the Asian Youth Para Games  beginning with the 2009 edition in Tokyo, Japan.


2003 FESPIC Youth Games, Organisation, Development and preparation
The 2003 FESPIC Youth Games Organising Committee was formed to oversee the staging of the games.


2003 FIA GT Anderstorp 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Anderstorp 500 km was the seventh round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Scandinavian Raceway, Sweden, on September 7, 2003.


2003 FIA GT Anderstorp 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Barcelona 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Barcelona 500 km was the opening round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Circuit de Catalunya, Spain, on April 6, 2003.


2003 FIA GT Barcelona 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Brno 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Brno 500 km was the fourth round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Brno Circuit, Czech Republic, on May 25, 2003.


2003 FIA GT Brno 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Brno 500km, Official results
† – #8 Graham Nash Motorsport was disqualified for failing post-race technical inspection. The car was found to have a fuel tank larger than regulations allowed.


2003 FIA GT Championship
The 2003 FIA GT Championship season was the 7th season of the FIA GT Championship. The championship consisted of the FIA GT Championship for Drivers, the N-GT Cup for Drivers, the FIA GT Championship for Teams and the N-GT Cup for Teams. The four titles were contested over a ten event series open to Grand Touring cars broken into two classes, GT and N-GT, based on power and manufacturer involvement. The championship began on 6 April 2003 and ended on 19 October 2003.


2003 FIA GT Championship, Drivers' Championship, FIA GT Championship for Drivers
The 2003 FIA GT Championship for Drivers was won by Matteo Bobbi & Thomas Biagi driving a Ferrari 550 Maranello for BMS Scuderia Italia.


2003 FIA GT Championship, Drivers' Championship, N-GT Cup for Drivers
The 2003 N-GT Cup for Drivers was won by Marc Lieb & Stéphane Ortelli driving a Porsche 911 GT3-RS for Freisinger Motorsport.


2003 FIA GT Championship, Teams Championship
Points were awarded to the top 8 finishers in the order of 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 except at the Spa 24 Hours, where an additional allocation of half points were awarded to the leaders at both the six-hour mark and the twelve-hour mark. Both cars score points towards the championship regardless of finishing position.


2003 FIA GT Donington 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Donington 500 km was the fifth round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at Donington Park, United Kingdom, on 29 June 2003.


2003 FIA GT Donington 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Donington 500km, Official results
† – #18 Zwaan's Racing was disqualified for failing post-race technical inspection. The car was found to have an illegal fuel cooling device in use.


2003 FIA GT Estoril 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Estoril 500 km was the ninth round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Autódromo do Estoril, Portugal, on October 5, 2003.


2003 FIA GT Estoril 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Magny-Cours 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Magny-Cours 500 km was the second round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France, on April 27, 2003.


2003 FIA GT Magny-Cours 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Magny-Cours 500km, Official results
† – #89 Team Maranello Concessionaires was disqualified after the car failed post-race technical inspection. The car's fuel tank was found to be larger than the rules allowed.


2003 FIA GT Monza 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Monza 500 km was the tenth and final round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy, on October 19, 2003.


2003 FIA GT Monza 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Oschersleben 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Oschersleben 500 km was the eighth round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Germany, on September 21, 2003.


2003 FIA GT Oschersleben 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Oschersleben 500km, Official results
† – #14 Lister Racing was disqualified following the race. Officials deemed the car made avoidable contact with the #4 Force One Racing Festina entry during the race.


2003 FIA GT Oschersleben 500km, Official results
‡ – #2 Konrad Motorsport was disqualified following the race. Officials deemed the car had made dangerous maneuvers while behind the safety car.


2003 FIA GT Pergusa 500km
The 2003 FIA GT Pergusa 500 km was the third round the 2003 FIA GT Championship season. It took place at the Autodromo di Pergusa, Italy, on May 11, 2003.


2003 FIA GT Pergusa 500km, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA GT Pergusa 500km, Official results
† - #22 BMS Scuderia Italia was disqualified for failing post-race technical inspection. The car was found to have an airbox which allowed air to leak back out.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship
The 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship was the third season of FIA Sportscar Championship, an auto racing series regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and organized by the International Racing Series Ltd. It was the seventh and final season of the series dating back to the International Sports Racing Series of 1997. The series featured sports prototypes divided into two categories, SR1 and SR2, and awarded championships for drivers, constructors, and teams in both classes. The series began on 13 April 2003 and ended on 21 September 2003 after seven races in Europe.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship
Jan Lammers of the Netherlands won his second consecutive drivers championship for his Racing for Holland Dome outfit, sharing the championship with countryman John Bosch. Mirko Savolid and Pierguiseppe Peroni also earned a repeat drivers championship in the SR2 category for Lucchini Engineering after winning in five of seven events.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship, Schedule
The 2003 calendar for the championship featured seven events, six in the traditional 2-hour 30-minute format plus the addition of the 1000 km Spa run in conjunction with the British GT Championship, a return to the 1000 km format last utilized in 1988. Circuito do Estoril began the season in the first visit to Portugal for the series, while Autodromo Nazionale Monza and Donington Park both returned to the series with events held in conjunction with the International Formula 3000 series; Donington would also serve as the first race in the championship to be held at night. The EuroSpeedway Lausitz would share its event with the Champ Car World Series, while Circuit Paul Armagnac and Motopark Oschersleben were also new events to the series.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship, Results and standings, Race results
Points were awarded to the top eight finishers in each category. Entries were required to complete 60% of the race distance in order to be classified as a finisher and earn points. Drivers were required to complete 20% of the total race distance for their car to earn points. Teams scored points for only their highest finishing entry. For the 1000 km Spa points were also awarded to the top eight in each category at half distance.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship, Results and standings, Constructors championships
Constructor champions are open to chassis constructors only. Engine manufacturers are not considered in the constructor entries.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Donington
The 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Donington was the fifth race for the 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship season held at Donington Park and ran for two hours and thirty minutes. It took place on August 10, 2003.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Donington, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 75% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Donington, Official results
† - #8 was disqualified for being pushed back onto the track by a marshall.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Estoril
The 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Estoril was the first race for the 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship season held at Autódromo do Estoril and ran a distance of two hours, thirty minutes. It took place on April 13, 2003.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Estoril, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 75% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Lausitz
The 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Lausitz was the second race for the 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship season held at EuroSpeedway Lausitz and ran a distance of two hours, thirty minutes. It took place on May 10, 2003.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Lausitz
This race was run in support for the Champ Car German 500.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Lausitz, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 75% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Monza
The 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Monza was the third race for the 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship season held at Autodromo Nazionale Monza and ran for 500 kilometers. It took place on June 29, 2003.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Monza, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 75% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Nogaro
The 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Nogaro was the seventh and final race for the 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship season, as well as the final race for the FIA Sportscar Championship series overall. It was held at Circuit Paul Armagnac and ran for two hours and thirty minutes. It took place on September 21, 2003.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Nogaro
This race also marked one of the smallest fields in FIA Sportscar history.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Nogaro, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 75% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Oschersleben
The 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Oschersleben was the fourth race for the 2003 FIA Sportscar Championship season held at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben and ran for two hours and thirty minutes. It took place on July 20, 2003.


2003 FIA Sportscar Championship Oschersleben, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 75% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 FIBA Africa Championship
The 2003 FIBA Africa Championship was the 22nd FIBA Africa Championship, played under the rules of FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and the FIBA Africa thereof. The tournament was hosted by Egypt from August 7 to 16 2003.


2003 FIBA Africa Championship
Angola defeated Nigeria 85–65 in the final to win their seventh title. and securing a spot at the 2004 Summer Olympics.


2003 FIBA Africa Championship for Women
The 2003 FIBA Africa Championship for Women was the 16th FIBA Africa Championship for Women, played under the rules of FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and the FIBA Africa thereof. The tournament was hosted by Mozambique from December 18 to 28, with the games played at the Pavilhão do Maxaquene in Maputo and in Nampula.


2003 FIBA Africa Championship for Women
Nigeria defeated Mozambique 69–63 in the final to win their first title. and securing a spot at the 2004 Summer Olympics.


2003 FIBA Africa Championship for Women, Final standings
Nigeria rosterAisha Mohammed, Funmilayo Ojelabi, Linda Ogugua, Mfon Udoka, Mactabene Amachree, Nguveren Iyorhe, Nwamaka Adibeli, Patricia Chukwuma, Rashidat Sadiq, Coach: Sam Vincent


2003 FIBA Africa Championship squads
This article displays the rosters for the participating teams at the 2003 FIBA Africa Championship.


2003 FIBA Africa Women's Clubs Champions Cup
The 2003 FIBA Africa Club Championship for Women was the 10th FIBA Africa Women's Clubs Champions Cup, an international basketball tournament held in Maputo, Mozambique, from October 29 to November 4, 2003. The tournament, organized by FIBA Africa and hosted by Maxaquene, was contested by 6 clubs in a round-robin system.


2003 FIBA Africa Women's Clubs Champions Cup
First Bank ended the round-robin tournament with a 5–0 unbeaten record to win their first title and qualify for the 2004 FIBA Women's World League.


2003 FIBA Africa Women's Clubs Champions Cup, Participating teams
Arc-en-Ciel Djoliba AC First Bank Maxaquene Primeiro de Agosto Radi


2003 FIBA Africa Women's Clubs Champions Cup, Final standings
First Bank rosterAisha Mohammed, Barbara Diribe, Ezinne James, Funmilayo Ojelabi, Joy Okoka, Mactabene Amachree, Mfon Udoka, Nguveren Iyorhe, Patricia Chukwuma, Perpetua Clement, Stella Ofurum, Coach: Ganiyu Otenigbagbe


2003 FIBA Americas Championship for Women
The 2003 FIBA Americas Championship for Women (also known as 2003 Panamerican Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) was the qualifying tournament for FIBA Americas at the women's basketball tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The tournament was held in Culiacan, Mexico from 17 – 21 September 2003. Seven national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Americas, the sport's regional governing body. The city of Culiacan hosted the tournament. Brazil won their third title after defeating Cuba in the final.


2003 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship
The 2003 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship (known at that time as 2003 European Championship for Cadets) was the 17th edition of the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. The city of Madrid, in Spain, hosted the tournament. Serbia and Montenegro won the trophy for the fourth time in a row.


2003 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, Qualification
There were two qualifying rounds for this tournament. Twenty-four national teams entered the qualifying round. Fifteen teams advanced to the Challenge Round, where they joined Lithuania, Greece and France. The remaining eighteen teams were allocated in three groups of six teams each. The three top teams of each group joined Serbia and Montenegro (title holder), Russia (runner-up) and Spain (host) in the final tournament.


2003 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, Preliminary round
The twelve teams were allocated in two groups of six teams each.


2003 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship, Final standings
Miloš Teodosić, Milenko Tepić, Stefan Nikolić, Marko Durković, Dragan Labović, Nenad Mijatović, Dušan Trajković, Nenad Živčević, Nemanja Aleksandrov, Branko Jereminov, Nikola Dragović, and Boban Medenica. Head Coach: Mijo Kadija.


2003 FIBA Oceania Championship
The FIBA Oceania Championship for Men 2003 was the qualifying tournament of FIBA Oceania for the 2004 Summer Olympics. The tournament, a best-of-three series between  Australia and  New Zealand, was held in Bendigo, Geelong and Melbourne. Australia won all three games to qualify for the Oceanic spot in the Olympics.


2003 FIBA Oceania Championship for Women
The FIBA Oceania Championship for Women 2003 was the qualifying tournament of FIBA Oceania for the 2004 Summer Olympics. The tournament, a two-game series between  Australia and  New Zealand, was held in Launceston, Davenport. Australia won all three games to qualify for the Oceanic spot in the Olympics.


2003 FIBA Under-19 World Championship
The 2003 FIBA Under-19 World Championship (Greek: 2003 Παγκόσμιο Πρωτάθλημα FIBA Under-19) was the seventh men's under-19 only, international basketball competition organized by FIBA. It was held in the Greek city of Thessaloniki from July 10 to July 20, 2003. Australia won the tournament beating Lithuania 126-92 in the final. Andrew Bogut was named the tournament MVP.


2003 FIBA World Championship for Young Women
The 2003 FIBA World Championship for Young Women was the first edition of the basketball world championship for U21 women's teams, later known as the FIBA Under-21 World Championship for Women. It was played in Šibenik, Croatia, from 25 July to 3 August 2003. United States women's national under-21 basketball team won the tournament and became the world champions for the first time.


2003 FIBA World Championship for Young Women, First round
In the first round, the teams were drawn into two groups of six. The first four teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals, the other teams will play in the 9th–12th place playoffs.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's semi-final against Colombia. Foé's death united the France and Cameroon teams in the final match, which was played even though team players from both sides had explicitly stated that the match should not be played out of respect for Foé. France went on to win the trophy with a golden goal from Thierry Henry.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup
At the presentation of medals and trophies, two Cameroon players held a gigantic photo of Foé, and a runner-up medal was hung to the edge of the photo. When French captain Marcel Desailly was presented with the Confederations Cup, he did not lift it up high, but held it in unison with Cameroon captain Rigobert Song. Foé finished third in media voting for player of the tournament and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Ball at its conclusion.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Qualified teams
1Italy, the UEFA Euro 2000 runners-up, declined to take part as did Germany, the 2002 FIFA World Cup runners-up. So did Spain, who were ranked second in the FIFA World Rankings at the time. They were replaced by Turkey, who came third in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Bid process
Five bids came before the deadline at 1 May 2002. Australia, Portugal and the United States put in single bids, while South Africa–Egypt and France–Switzerland put in joint bids. The France–Switzerland bid never materialized.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Bid process
The host was selected on 24 September 2002, during a meeting of FIFA's Executive Committee.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Awards, Golden Ball
FIFA presents the Golden Ball award to the outstanding player of the competition, as voted by the media present at the tournament.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Awards, Golden Shoe
FIFA presents the Golden Shoe award to the tournament's top goalscorer.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Awards, FIFA Fair Play Award
FIFA presents the Fair Play Award to the team with the best fair play record, according to a points system and criteria founded by the FIFA Fair Play Committee.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Statistics, Goalscorers
Thierry Henry received the Golden Shoe award for scoring four goals. In total, 37 goals were scored by 22 different players, with none of them credited as own goal.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, Statistics, Tournament ranking
Per statistical convention in football, matches decided in extra time are counted as wins and losses, while matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Final
The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Final was a football match to determine the winners of the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. The match was held at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France, on 29 June 2003 and was contested by Cameroon and France. France won the match 1–0, with a golden goal in the 97th minute from Thierry Henry when he kneed the ball past Carlos Kameni into the left corner of the net from the right of the six yard box after a pass from Lilian Thuram.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Final
Cameroon wore shirts embroidered with Marc-Vivien Foé's name and dates of birth and death as a tribute to their midfielder who had suffered cardiac arrest and died on the pitch during their semi-final game against Colombia three days earlier. At the presentation of medals and trophies, two Cameroon players held a large photo of Foé, on which a runner-up medal was hung. When France captain Marcel Desailly was presented with the trophy, he held it in unison with Cameroon captain Rigobert Song.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Group A
Group A of the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup took place between 18 and 22 June 2003. France won the group, and advanced to the knockout stage, along with group runners-up Colombia. Japan and New Zealand failed to advance.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Group B
Group B of the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup took place between 19 and 23 June 2003. Cameroon won the group, and advanced to the knockout stage, along with group runners-up Turkey. Brazil and United States failed to advance.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup began on 26 June with the semi-final round, and concluded on 29 June 2003 with the final at Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament. A third place match was included and played between the two losing teams of the semi-finals.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup knockout stage
In the knockout stage (including the final), if a match was level at the end of 90 minutes, extra time of two periods (15 minutes each) would be played. If the score was still level after extra time, the match would be decided by a penalty shoot-out. Additionally, a golden goal rule was used, according to which if the goal is scored during the extra time, the game ends immediately and the scoring team becomes the winner.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup knockout stage, Semi-finals, Cameroon v Colombia
The match is remembered for the death of Marc-Vivien Foé. In the 72nd minute of the match, Foé collapsed in the centre circle with no other players near him. After attempts to resuscitate him on the pitch, he was stretchered off the field, where he received mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and oxygen. Medics spent 45 minutes attempting to restart his heart, and although he was still alive upon arrival at the stadium's medical centre, he died shortly afterwards. A first autopsy did not determine an exact cause of death, but a second autopsy concluded that Foé's death was heart-related as it discovered evidence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary condition known to increase the risk of sudden death during physical exercise.


2003 FIFA Confederations Cup squads, Group B, Cameroon
Marc-Vivien Foé died during the tournament during the semi-final with Colombia.


2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, was the tenth edition of FIFA U-17 World Championship. It was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti and Turku in Finland between 13 and 30 August 2003. Players born after 1 January 1986 could participate in this tournament. Some controversy followed the tournament after a number of players from the Sierra Leone squad defected to Finland.


2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, Venues
The tournament was played in four cities in Finland: Helsinki, Turku, Tampere and Lahti.


2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, Squads
For a list of the squads see 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship squads


2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship, Goalscorers
There were 117 goals scored in 32 matches, for an average of 3.66 goals per match.


2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship squads
Those marked in bold have now been capped at full International level.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup was the fourth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial championship of women's association football teams organized by FIFA. It was held in the United States from 20 September to 12 October 2003 at six venues in six cities across the country. The tournament was won by Germany, who became the first country to win both men's and women's World Cup.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup
China was originally awarded the right to host the tournament, which would have taken place from 23 September to 11 October in four cities. A severe outbreak of SARS in early 2003 affected Guangdong in southern China and prompted FIFA to move the Women's World Cup to the United States, who had hosted the previous edition in 1999. China were instead granted hosting rights for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and financial compensation while the United States Soccer Federation made new arrangements to host at smaller stadiums.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Preparations, Host selection and change
FIFA awarded hosting rights for the Women's World Cup to China on 26 October 2000, beating a bid by Australia. The tournament was originally planned to run from 23 September to 11 October at venues in Shanghai, Wuhan, Chengdu, and Hangzhou. Several sporting events in China were canceled or postponed in early April due to the outbreak of SARS in southern China, including the official draw for the Women's World Cup, and FIFA launched a joint investigation with the World Health Organization into whether the outbreak would subside by the time of the tournament. The United States, Canada, and Australia were mentioned as potential replacement hosts at the time.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Preparations, Host selection and change
On 3 May 2003, FIFA announced that they would move the tournament to an alternate host country, which would be determined at a later date; the United States and Australia had expressed interest in hosting, while Brazil was floated as another potential host. FIFA also announced that they would instead award the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and pay $1 million to the organizing committee to compensate for planning expenses. On 26 May 2003, the United States was announced as the tournament's new host, ahead of the other formal bid submitted by Sweden.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Preparations, Host selection and change
The United States was judged to be a suitable emergency host because of their experience with organizing the 1999 tournament, despite potential conflicts in the fall sports schedule with American football and baseball. Women's soccer boosters in the United States also hoped that interest generated by the tournament would save the struggling professional league, the Women's United Soccer Association, from folding; the league ultimately folded a few days before the tournament began in September.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Venues
The tournament's 32 matches were played at six venues and organized into 15 doubleheaders, with the exception of the third-place and final matches, which were played on separate days. The Los Angeles area repeated as host of the final, which was moved from the Rose Bowl to the Home Depot Center, a smaller stadium in Carson, California. The matches were scheduled in doubleheaders and moved from four venues on the East Coast to two on the West Coast as it progressed to later matchdays. The size and scope of the tournament were also reduced from the 1999 edition due to the limited time to organize and prepare for the event.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Venues
Mostly due to the rescheduling of the tournament on short notice, FIFA and the United States Soccer Federation were forced to creatively schedule matches. Nine doubleheaders were scheduled in group play (similar to the 1999 format). They also had to abandon the modern practice of scheduling the final matches of the group stage to kick off simultaneously. In Groups A and D, the final matches were scheduled as the two ends of a doubleheader. The final matches in Groups B and C were also scheduled as doubleheaders, but split between two cities, with a Group B match in each city followed by a Group C match. The four quarterfinals were also scheduled as two doubleheaders, and both semifinals were also a doubleheader.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Venues
The host stadiums were announced on 13 June 2003, including three large stadiums to open the tournament and three small, soccer-specific stadiums for later stages. Giants Stadium in the New York City area backed out of hosting after being unable to resolve scheduling issues with the New York Giants. For the tournament, Portland's newly renovated PGE Park (formerly Civic Stadium) received a new grass surface and temporary seating to expand capacity to 28,359; it had previously hosted several matches during the 1999 tournament. Gillette Stadium replaced the demolished Foxboro Stadium, while RFK Stadium was chosen in place of Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in the Washington, D.C. area. The venues also employed new security measures that were required by the U.S. government following the September 11 attacks in 2001.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Participating teams and officials, Qualification
Sixteen teams participated in the 2003 Women's World Cup, determined by a set of continental qualification tournaments that took place from 18 August 2001 to 12 July 2003. Three teams, Argentina, France, and South Korea, made their Women's World Cup debuts in the 2003 tournament. The remaining thirteen teams had competed in the previous World Cup.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Participating teams and officials, Qualification
China was granted automatic qualification as the host and retained it after the United States were named the replacement host. The remaining fifteen participants, including the replacement host, were determined through a series of continental tournaments from a field of 99 teams. FIFA allocated five berths to Europe; two each to Africa,  Asia, North America, and South America (increased by one from the 1999 tournament); and one to Oceania. The 2003 Women's World Cup was also used to determine the two European participants in the 2004 Summer Olympics.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Participating teams and officials, Squads
For a list of all squads that played in the final tournament, see 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup squads.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Participating teams and officials, Draw
The group draw was originally scheduled to take place on 24 May 2003 in Wuhan, China, but was postponed prior to the relocation decision. It instead took place at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California on 17 July 2003, and included a formal handover ceremony for the FIFA Women's World Cup trophy, which was given to U.S. coach April Heinrichs by Chinese coach Ma Liangxing. FIFA also unveiled its Women's World Rankings system, which was used to determine seeded groups and retroactively calculated points for over 3,000 international fixtures dating back to 1971.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Participating teams and officials, Draw
The United States was placed in Group A and China was placed in Group D, while Norway and Germany were also seeded in Pot 1. The remaining three pots were distributed geographically to prevent two teams from the same confederation from being drawn into the same group, with the exception of one group that would have two European teams. The hosting United States was drawn into the tournament's "Group of death" alongside Sweden, Nigeria, and North Korea—all considered strong teams from their respective confederations.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage
The tournament format was unchanged from the 1999 edition, with the first round consisting of sixteen teams organized into four groups by the final draw. The round-robin group stage consisted of 24 matches in which each team played one match against the other three teams in their group. Teams were awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and none for a defeat.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage
In the event of a tie on points, group position would be determined by several tiebreakers in the following order: goal differential; the number of goals scored; points in matches played between the tied teams; goal differential in matches played between the tied teams; number of goals scored in matches played between the tied teams; and the drawing of lots. The winners and runners-up from each group qualified for the knockout stage, which began with the quarter-finals.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group A
Group A included three teams from the previous edition's Group A—hosts and defending champions United States, African champions Nigeria, and Asian champions North Korea—alongside European runners-up Sweden. It was dubbed the tournament's "Group of death" at the time of the final draw, due to the presence of three continental champions and a runner-up. Nigeria were defeated 3–0 by North Korea in the opening match of the tournament, played in Philadelphia on 20 September, with two goals by Jin Pyol-hui and one by Ri Un-gyong during a dominating performance for most of the match.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group A
The United States began its title defense by winning 3–1 in its match against Sweden in Washington, D.C. at RFK Memorial Stadium, which was attended by 34,144 spectators. Kristine Lilly volleyed a shot from 20 yards (18 m) in the 28th minute and was followed by a Cindy Parlow header for a 2–0 halftime lead. A header by Victoria Svensson in the 58th minute cut the lead, but the two-goal margin was restored in the 78th minute by Shannon Boxx's header on a corner kick.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group A
Sweden won 1–0 in its second match, played against North Korea in Philadelphia, with a seventh-minute volley by Svensson. The Swedish defense limited North Korea to a single shot in the first half, but goalkeeper Ri Jong-hui prevented a rout with several saves. The United States moved further ahead in group standings with a 5–0 defeat of Nigeria, but were unable to clinch an early quarterfinal berth. Mia Hamm, the longtime face of the team, scored from a penalty kick in the sixth minute and a 32-yard (29 m) free kick in the twelfth minute.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group A
Her strike partner, Cindy Parlow, scored a goal of her own just after halftime by heading in a corner kick taken by Hamm. Substitute forward Abby Wambach scored her first Women's World Cup goal and the match's final goal came from a penalty kick taken in the 89th minute by Julie Foudy.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group A
The third matchday, played as a doubleheader in Columbus, began with Sweden's 3–0 win over Nigeria to earn a quarterfinal berth by finishing second in the group. After a scoreless first half, striker Hanna Ljungberg broke the deadlock in the 56th minute with a header and added a second in the 79th minute; Swedish captain Malin Moström then scored a third goal for her team two minutes later on a breakaway, capping a dominating offensive performance with 14 shots on target.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group A
The United States benched several of its starting players in their final group stage match against North Korea, which was the first World Cup match without star striker Mia Hamm. The hosts took the lead in the 17th minute from a penalty kick that was awarded for a foul on Tiffeny Milbrett and scored by Abby Wambach. Cat Reddick, the only college player on the U.S. roster, scored from a deflection in the 48th minute and a header in the 66th minute as the United States won 3–0 and finished at the top of Group A.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group B
In Group B, 1999 semifinalists Brazil and Norway were joined by Women's World Cup debutantes France and South Korea. Norway and France had played in the same continental qualification group, finishing first and second in their group; France qualified for the final European berth by winning a two-stage play-off series against Denmark and England. Norway won 2–0 in their opening match against France, with second-half goals from a header by Anita Rapp and rebound by captain Dagny Mellgren. Brazil defeated South Korea 3–0 in their opener, with a penalty scored by 17-year-old midfielder Marta in the 14th minute and two second-half goals from forward Kátia.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group B
Brazil moved to the top of Group B with a 4–1 defeat of Norway, who were unexpectedly overpowered by the younger members of the Brazil squad. 19-year-old Daniela scored in the 26th minute after a long run through the Norwegian defense and was followed by 21-year-old defender Rosana's header off a free kick in the 37th minute. Norwegian forward Marianne Pettersen scored with a header before halftime to bring the team within one goal of equalizing, but a tap-in from Marta and header by Kátia in the second half earned Brazil their upset victory.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group B
The second doubleheader of the matchday ended with South Korea's 1–0 loss to France, with the team's first World Cup goal scored in the 84th minute by Marinette Pichon; as a result, France and Norway were left tied in second place with the possibility of a three-way tie at the end of the group stage.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group B
Norway rebounded from its loss to Brazil by defeating South Korea 7–1 to qualify for the quarterfinals as the second-placed team in the group. Dagny Mellgren scored twice in the first half and also recorded two assists on goals by Solveig Gulbrandsen in the fifth minute and Marianne Pettersen before halftime. Defender Brit Sandaune scored from a 30-yard (27 m) volley early in the second half and was joined on the score-sheet by Linda Ørmen, who entered the match as a substitute in the 69th minute and scored twice at the end of the match.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group B
Kim Jin-hee earned a consolation goal, her nation's first in a World Cup, from a defensive mistake in the 75th minute. Brazil took the lead against France in its final group stage match in the 58th minute, through a goal from Kátia, but conceded in stoppage time to a finish by Pichon. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, but Brazil finished atop the group standings and advanced to the quarterfinals.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group C
Group C included 1995 runners-up Germany, North American runners-up Canada; Japan, who qualified through an inter-continental play-off; and debutants Argentina. In the opening match of the first group doubleheader in Columbus, Christine Sinclair scored her first Women's World Cup goal in the fourth minute from a header to give Canada the lead. Germany then equalized from a penalty kick before halftime, awarded for a handball, and completed a 4–1 comeback victory with three goals in the second half by Birgit Prinz and substitute Kerstin Garefrekes.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group C
The second match in Columbus ended with Argentina being defeated 6–0 by Japan, with two goals from Homare Sawa and a hat-trick scored by Mio Otani in an eight-minute span in the second half. Argentina lost forward Natalia Gatti to a red card in the 39th minute, opening the team to attacks form the Japanese.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group C
The second matchday's doubleheader, also played in Columbus, ended with 3–0 victories for Germany over Japan and Canada over Argentina. Germany took advantage of their taller players and physicality to shutout Japan, liming them to a handful of chances. Sandra Minnert scored on a rebound from a corner kick in the 23rd minute and was followed by a pair of goals from forward Birgit Prinz in the 36th and 66th minute, both from overturned balls in the midfield.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group C
Canada earned its first World Cup victory in its eighth match with a pair of goals scored by Christine Latham, who also won a penalty in the 19th minute that opened the scoring against Argentina. The victory put Canada level on points with Japan for second place in the group, setting up a winner-take-all scenario in their match against each other.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group C
Canada earned its first quarterfinal berth by defeating Japan 3–1 in their final group stage match, despite conceding to Japan's star midfielder Homare Sawa in the 20th minute. Latham equalized with her chipped shot in the 36th minute and Canada took the lead after halftime with a header by Christine Sinclair and a strike by Kara Lang in the 72nd minute. Germany finished atop the group with three wins following their 6–1 rout of Argentina, including four goals scored in the first half. The team lost defender Steffi Jones to a knee injury in the second half and conceded a consolation goal to Argentina before scoring twice at the end of the match to extend their lead.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group D
Original hosts and 1999 runners-up China were seeded into Group D, where they would play alongside African runners-up Ghana, Oceania champions Australia, and 1999 quarter-finalist Russia. Australia continued their Women's World Cup winless streak by losing 2–1 to Russia in the opening match, despite taking a 1–0 lead in the 38th minute through a goal from Kelly Golebiowski. Russia tied the match a minute later with an own goal from Dianne Alagich and Elena Fomina scored their second in the 89th minute with a strike from the edge of the penalty area. China, considered the favorites to  top the group, won 1–0 in their opener against Ghana with a goal by Sun Wen, who was the top goalscorer in the 1999 World Cup.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group D
Russia secured its quarterfinal berth by defeating Ghana 3–0 in their second match, which took them to first place in the group. They opened the scoring in the 36th minute with a free kick taken by Marina Saenko, which was followed by a pair of close-range shots in the second half from Natalia Barbashina and Olga Letyushova. Group favorites China had unexpectedly conceded to Australia in the first half of their match, with a goal in the 28th minute for midfielder Heather Garriock, that would have snapped a winless World Cup record for the Matildas. A potential equalizer in the first half from Sun Wen was saved off the line by Cheryl Salisbury, but Bai Jie was able to score shortly after halftime to earn a draw for China and prevent an upset victory for Australia.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Group stage, Group D
Australia continued its winless streak in World Cup play after losing 2–1 in its final group stage match against Ghana, who had also been eliminated from advancing to the quarterfinals. Ghanaian striker Alberta Sackey, who had been named Africa's best female footballer, scored twice within five minutes near the end of the first half—once from long range and the other from a rebound on a saved shot. Heather Garriock cut the lead in the 61st minute with her goal and Australia pressed for an equalizer, but were unable to score and finished at the bottom of the group. China qualified for the quarterfinals through Australia's elimination and won 1–0 against Russia to finish atop the group standings. Bai Jie scored the lone goal of the match in the 16th minute, despite China's 18 shots—of which seven were saved by Russian goalkeeper Alla Volkova.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Knockout stage, Quarter-finals
The first quarterfinal doubleheader was played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with the ordering of the matches swapped to allow a later kickoff for the U.S. match. Sweden took the lead against Brazil in the first match of the night, with a header by Victoria Svensson in the 23rd minute in the run of play. A minute before halftime, Marta drew and scored an equalizing penalty for Brazil after being tripped by goalkeeper Sofia Lundgren, who was starting in place of Caroline Jönsson because of her drug treatment for stomach cramps.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Knockout stage, Quarter-finals
Malin Andersson scored the winning goal for Sweden in the 53rd minute from a 24-yard (22 m) free kick as Sweden resisted several chances from Brazil and a controversial uncalled foul in the penalty area during stoppage time to win 2–1. The United States played Norway in their quarterfinal match-up, which pitted two of the tournament favorites and ended in a 1–0 victory for the hosts. Abby Wambach scored in the 24th minute from a header off Cat Reddick's free kick from 40 yards (37 m) while also creating other chances to score to no avail. The U.S. failed to extend their lead in the 68th minute, with a penalty kick taken by Mia Hamm that was blocked by goalkeeper Bente Nordby.


2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, Knockout stage, Quarter-finals
The second doubleheader was played between teams from Groups C and D at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon, which would also host the semifinals. Germany advanced to the semifinals with a 7–1 defeat of Russia, who matched Chinese Taipei in conceding the most goals in a Women's World Cup quarterfinal. The Germans led 1–0 at halftime, with a goal by Martina Müller in the 25th minute, but scored three times within a five-minute span to open the second half after breaking down the Russian defense.