The Women’s World Cup gets underway this week in Australia and New Zealand.
A month-long festival of football awaits as 32 teams across eight groups go up against each other in a bid to dethrone current champions, the United States.
Naturally, the Americans are favourites again but England, Spain, Germany, France and co-hosts Australia are all serious teams in the mix.
Here, Standard Sport pick out six stars to watch…
Lena Oberdorf - Germany
Announced herself as one of the world’s best defensive midfielders at the Euros last summer and was named young player of the tournament. At 21, she is mature beyond her years and is already the best player in a Wolfsburg team that only narrowly lost the Champions League Final to Barcelona in June. Reflecting on Germany’s final defeat to England last summer, she said recently: "I drank a lot of vodka to get over the pain." She is out to make up for that.
Alex Morgan - USA
Has been one of the most recognisable faces of women’s football for more than a decade and shows no signs of slowing down, despite turning 34 this month. She continues to lead the line for the US and heads into her fourth World Cup with a remarkable 121 goals in 207 appearances. She lifted the trophy in 2015 and 2019 but, while the defending champions might not quite be the force they were four years ago, they go in as favourites to make it three in a row.
Aitana Bonmati - Spain
Bonmati is one of three Spanish players to end a nine-month international exile and make herself available for the World Cup. Spain were in disarray last year, when 15 players asked not to be called up after last summer’s Euros due to a row over head coach Jorge Vilda and deeper issues within Spanish women’s football. But Bonmati, along with two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, is back and determined to make an impact Down Under. The Barcelona star is a tempo-setting midfielder who disrupts play and has fine distribution skills.
Asisat Oshoala - Nigeria
Five-time African player of the year Oshoala won the Champions League with Barcelona this season and will lead a Nigeria team hoping to spring a surprise in their group. The striker has won the Africa Cup of Nations three times and been named player of the tournament twice. She was top scorer for European champions Barca last season. On her day, she can be almost unplayable. If she scores in this tournament, she will become the first African woman to score at three World Cups.
Georgia Stanway - England
Keira Walsh perhaps overshadowed her displays in midfield for the Lionesses at the Euros, but Stanway has been one of the most consistent performers for England. She is a box-to-box player, with an incredible engine. While her tough tackling and ability to break up opposition play is her best asset, her shooting ability means she has been England’s penalty-taker for the past two years. Stanway was pivotal for Bayern Munich in her first season in Germany. Her winner from the penalty spot against rivals Wolfsburg in March eventually proved the difference as Bayern won the title ahead of the Champions League finalists.
Caroline Graham Hansen - Norway
Chelsea fans might not be big fans of Hansen, after she scored in both legs when Barcelona beat the Blues in their Champions League semi-final last season. But the forward showed her class with her goals at Stamford Bridge and the Nou Camp, and her clinical finishing could make Norway a threat. Has scored 44 goals in 97 games, despite playing out wide, and forms a formidable front three alongside Champions League record goalscorer Ada Hegerberg and Chelsea’s Guro Reiten. Norway face co-hosts New Zealand in the opening match tomorrow, and Hansen will be critical to their chances of going deep into the tournament.
