The best women’s soccer teams in the world will be in action on July 20, when the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand kicks off. The French agency AFP selected five players to watch.
Alexia Putellas – Spain
The offensive midfielder is considered by many to be the best soccer player in the world.
A Barça fan since she was little, the 29-year-old has become an icon of the club of her heart, reaching the pinnacle of football as the first player to win two Ballon d’Ors and two UEFA and FIFA player of the year titles. consecutively.
Alexia combines creation and overflow to promote Barcelona, with which over more than a decade she has accumulated a bulging record that includes two Champions Leagues, seven Leagues and seven Queen’s Cups.
It is also the first woman to reach 100 caps for Spain, who missed his creativity and his goals at Euro 2022, when his team lost in the quarterfinals against champions England. Putellas is one of the Spanish players who has demanded changes in the national team, but she did not join the 15 who asked not to be called up last year amid disagreements with coach Jorge Vilda and the Spanish soccer leadership.
(Also: Colombia vs. Ireland: shocking details of the scandal in which the friendly ended).
Linda Caicedo – Colombia
At 18 years old, the Colombian striker Linda Caicedo reached the soccer elite by signing for Real Madrid and is preparing to play her third World Cup in less than 12 months.
The young woman with woven hair began to stand out for her talent with the ball in her native Villagorgona, a village near Cali. Less than a year ago, she represented the growing Colombian women’s soccer team in the U-20 World Cup in Costa Rica and the U-17 World Cup in India. Her dribbling led her to Real Madrid, and she is listed as the most outstanding player under 20 years of age and, according to the Globe Soccer Awards, the second best in the world.
Megan Rapinoe – United States
The American attacker is perhaps the most internationally recognized player in women’s soccer. She has represented her country’s team 199 times, scored 63 goals and made 73 assists.
He won the World Cup twice and currently plays in the United States with OL Reign.
At 38, Rapinoe recently announced that she is retiring at the end of the current season, despite continuing to be the face of women’s football to fans around the world. Off the field, Rapinoe speaks out on numerous issues beyond sports, including American politics and LGBTQ rights.
Keira Walsh – England
England’s hope of winning their first Women’s World Cup suffered with the injury of several key players, so this midfielder will have an even more important role. She currently plays for Barcelona, who snapped her up from Manchester City in September for 400,000 pounds (about $509,000), a record for a female footballer.
Her passing ability, reading of play and ability to recover the ball, Walsh was key to Sarina Wiegman’s England team winning the Euro on home soil in 2022. She was named man of the match as England defeated Germany 2-1 in the final Wembley in extra time.
Ada Hegerberg – Norway
The prolific Norwegian goalscorer for French Lyon was the first woman to win the Ballon d’Orin 2018.
His career with the Norwegian team has been inconsistent, having withdrawn from the national team in 2017 after complaining about unequal treatment between men and women by the Norwegian federation. He came back last year. The 27-year-old attacker has also suffered from injuries, but in her form, she is one of the best in the world, averaging more than one goal per game for her club. She is the top scorer in the Women’s Champions League with 59 goals.
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