Move over, USWNT: 10 global stars to watch in the Women’s World Cup
Some of the best athletes in this year's World Cup will compete against the USWNT.
Most American fans would have an easy time picking Megan Rapinoe out of a crowd, given her international soccer stardom and her signature brightly colored hair (at the moment, it’s cotton-candy blue).
World Cup
But with this year’s Women’s World Cup field expanded to 32 teams — up from 24 four years ago — there are more players generating buzz than ever, and athletes from around the globe are on the hunt to make their names and nations known on soccer’s biggest stage.
With competition kicking off Thursday from Australia and New Zealand, here are 10 non-USWNT players to watch.
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Sam Kerr, Australia
Americans may be familiar with Australian star Sam Kerr from her days in the NWSL. Kerr, now with Chelsea, still holds NWSL records for the most regular-season goals (18), single-game goals (4), goals in a single half (4), hat tricks in a season (2), and consecutive seasons scoring at least 15 goals (3). She is also the league’s all-time leading scorer, with 77 goals.
The 29-year-old forward will show off her playmaking ability in front of a home crowd during this year’s world cup.
“It’s going to be the biggest honor in the world to represent your country at a home World Cup in front of your family and friends,” she told the Guardian in April. “We hope this team is remembered forever and we represent Australia in the best way possible and show that Australia can be a real footballing country.”
Kerr will miss the first two games of the tournament with an injury suffered during training.
Alexia Putellas, Spain
The first player to win the Women’s Ballon d’Or two years in a row, 29-year-old Putellas has made 100 appearances for the Spanish national team and is ranked the No. 1 player in the world by both CNN and the Guardian.
Putellas suffered a torn ACL in her left knee in July 2022 but returned to training March ahead of the World Cup. She missed Spain’s match against Vietnam last week and left Monday’s training early, which a team spokesperson said was a planned departure. Still, her recent absences raise concerns about her availability throughout the tournament.
Debinha, Brazil
Débora Cristiane de Oliveira, better known as Debinha, joined the NWSL’s Kansas City Current this season and leads the team in goals during the regular season with nine goals and 15 assists. Before signing with Kansas City, Debinha was a two-time NWSL champion with the North Carolina Courage.
The 31-year-old forward has represented Brazil in three Olympics as well as the 2019 Women’s World Cup. She appeared in all six 2022 Copa America Femenina matches, making four starts, and scored a team-best five goals.
Lena Oberdorf, Germany
Germany hasn’t lifted the World Cup trophy since winning back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2007, but 21-year-old Oberdorf could be the missing piece in an already dangerous lineup. She appeared in the 2019 World Cup as a 17-year-old high schooler but has matured plenty in the four years since.
Oberdorf was named the UEFA World Champions League Young Player of the Season and is known for her defensive playmaking. She had the highest number of tackles of any player in the Women’s EURO in 2022 with VfL Wolfsburg.
Ji So-Yun, South Korea
After spending the last eight seasons with Chelsea, Ji returned to South Korea following the end of the 2022 season. She totaled 68 goals in 210 appearances for the Blues and was a part of all 11 major trophies that Chelsea won in the WSL era. She has won six Super League titles, four FA cups, and two Continental Cups in her storied career.
At age 32, she has more goals with the South Korean national team than any player, male or female.
Ada Hegerberg, Norway
After sitting out of the 2019 World Cup to protest Norway’s lack of investment in development of its girls’ and women’s soccer programs, Hegerberg returns to the World Cup with one of the most impressive resumes of the tournament.
Hegerberg won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 and has won 22 trophies with Olympique Lyonnais, including six Women’s Champions League titles. The 28-year-old forward is arguably Norway’s most lethal goal-scorer, adding to a stacked offense that also features Caroline Graham Hansen.
Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, Jamaica
Shaw was named the 2022 CONCACAF women’s player of the year, becoming the first Caribbean athlete to earn the award. The 26-year-old striker was the driving force in helping Jamaica become the first Caribbean nation to qualify for the World Cup, which the team accomplished in 2019.
Shaw, who scored 15 goals in 19 WSL games for Manchester City in 2022, led the Jamaican national team to a third-place finish at the 2022 CONCACAF Championship to earn its second consecutive World Cup berth. Her three goals — one in a 1-0 win over Mexico and two in a 4-0 win over Haiti — sealed Jamaica’s World Cup qualifying bid.
Asisat Oshaola, Nigeria
Oshoala won the African Women’s Football of the Year award five times in eight years — including in 2022 — and is one of Barcelona Femeni’s most dynamic players. She scored 21 goals for the club and was a driving force behind its historic 62-game win streak, marking the first time a team won more than 50 straight games according to FIFA.
The 28-year-old is known for her speed and skill and has scored 83 goals in 89 games for Barcelona. She appeared in both the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, serving as Nigeria’s vice captain for the latter.
Caroline Graham Hansen, Norway
Hansen makes up half of Norway’s attacking one-two punch alongside Hegerberg, creating one of the most fearsome scoring duos in this year’s World Cup field. The Barcelona forward announced in August that she was planning to take a break from international competition but returned in April to join this year’s World Cup roster.
The 28-year-old is dynamic on the wing and has scored 35 goals in 100 games for Barcelona since 2019. Hansen led Barcelona to UEFA Champions League titles in 2021 and 2023 and Liga F titles every year from 2020-23.
Keira Walsh, England
England will be without a number of its stars this World Cup as a result of injuries, putting more pressure on the 26-year-old Walsh, known for her distribution through the midfield. Barcelona acquired her from Manchester City in September for a reported 400,000 British pounds, a world record for a female player.
Walsh was named the player of the match when England defeated Germany 2-1 in extra time to win the 2022 Euro championship on home soil.
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