Beth Mead, Lea Williamson, Christen Press, Catarina Macário, Vivianne Miedema, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Giulia Gwinn, Janine Beckie… They all have something in common. None will be in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand because of an injury to the cruciate ligaments, the great ballast of women’s soccer.
In a World Cup marked by the absence of many of the leading figures in women’s football, a window opens for others to shine. This is the case of Aitana Bonmatí, who arrives in New Zealand after a year in which she has taken a step forward and has assumed the role of leader of the Barcelona dressing room in the absence of two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas. The one from Sant Pere de Ribes is at her best level, and if in the last Euro Cup she went home with two MVPs in her pocket, in this World Cup she wants to present her candidacy for the Ballon d’Or.
Another of the footballers that will be talked about a lot during this World Cup is Sam Kerr. The Australian will have the encouragement of the fans playing at home and aspires to continue collecting memorable performances. At 29 years old, she is the only forward who has managed to be the top scorer in leagues on three different continents (Oceania, America and Europe).
The one in Australia and New Zealand will also be the last World Cup for some of the players who are already legends of women’s football. Veterans like Caroline Seger (Sweden), who will play her fifth World Cup at 38 years old. The same as the American Megan Rapinoe, one of the leaders of the equal pay movement for equal pay in her Federation and a champion of the fight for LGTBI rights.
At 37 years old, the Brazilian Marta Vieira has already dropped that this could be her last major tournament before embarking on the path of motherhood.
She is the soccer player, man or woman, who has scored the most goals in the history of the World Cups: 17 goals throughout the five tournaments she has played. In her palmares, two silver medals in the Olympic Games (2004 and 2008) and a runner-up in the 2007 World Cup. In Brazil they want to say goodbye to the greatest in style: “We are inspired by Argentina. We want to do for Marta what they did for Messi”, they confessed before the tournament.
Do not lose sight of one of the most lethal offensive couples either. Blaugrana Caroline Graham Hansen and Lyon forward Ada Hegerberg. The latter has not just recovered the best version of her after suffering a complicated knee injury, but she still remains one of her most dangerous soccer players. In the case of the FC Barcelona winger, it has not been an easy year in terms of injuries either, she even temporarily left the team due to heart problems, but both want to recover their best version and place Norway among the most feared teams.
In Germany, Alex Popp (32) arrives at this tournament with the break that experience at the highest level gives him, but with his usual hunger. With five goals in six games, Poppi, as his teammates affectionately call her, led Germany to the final of the Eurocup and this season she has added her first top scorer in the Bundesliga.
She is only 22 years old, but the bets already place her among the favorites to win the Golden Boot of the World Cup. Sophia Smith is one of the hopes of the new generation of soccer players in the United States. Together with soccer players like Trinity Rodman –daughter of the NBA legend– or Alyssa Thompson, the second youngest player to be called up for a World Cup with the United States, at just 18 years old, she could be the revelation of the tournament.
