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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Charles Curtis

Every 2023 World Cup team nickname, from The Stars and Stripes to Copper Queens

You know by now all of the 32 teams participating in the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which of course includes the United States after the team won the last world title.

But do you know each of those team’s nicknames?

Maybe you didn’t even know that these national teams have nicknames to begin with. But they do, just like other sports franchises around the world, and many of them have intriguing backstories, with some matching the uniforms worn by the teams.

So we’ve collected each of those nicknames to present to you as we get set for the 2023 World Cup to begin:

1
Argentina

(Photo by Marcelo Manera / AFP) (Photo by MARCELO MANERA/AFP via Getty Images)

They’re La Albiceleste, which translates to “the white and sky blue,” for their uniforms.

2
Australia

(Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images)

They’re The Matildas. Thanks to a vote, fans chose this one in the 1990s. It’s based on the Australian song, Waltzing Matilda.

3
Brazil

(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

It’s either Seleção (the players who were selected for the national team) or As Canarinhas — the female canaries.

4
Canada

(AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

They’ve been called The Canucks.

5
China

(Photo by SAI Aung MAIN / AFP) (Photo by SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

The nickname: Steel Roses.

MORE: Every World Cup 2023 uniform, ranked

6
Colombia

(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

They’re Las Cafeteras — which means coffee growers.

7
Costa Rica

(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

La Tricolor, or three colors for the country’s flag.

8
Denmark

(Photo by LISELOTTE SABROE/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

They’re “De rød-hvide” or The Red and White, for their uniforms

9
England

(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

The men’s team is the Three Lions, and they’re the Lionesses.

10
France

(Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

Les Bleues, which is similar to the men’s team nickname.

11
Germany

(AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

The nickname: Die Nationalelf, which is the national 11.

12
Haiti

(Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)

They’re known as Les Grenadières.

13
Italy

(Photo by Pascal GUYOT / AFP)PASCAL GUYOT/AFP/Getty Images

They’re La Azzurre — the blue of the uniforms they wear.

14
Jamaica

(AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

They’re known as the Reggae Girlz.

MORE: Team previews for 10 of the World Cup favorites (including USWNT)

15
Japan

(Friedemann Vogel/Getty Images)

The name Nadeshiko comes from a type of flowering plant. But it also stems from Yamato nadeshiko, a term that refers to women.

16
South Korea

(Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP) (Photo by JUNG YEON-JE/AFP via Getty Images)

They’re the Taegeuk Ladies, and that word Taegeuk refers to the symbol on the flag.

17
Morocco

(Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

They’re the Atlas Lionesses.

18
Netherlands

(Photo by Izhar KHAN / AFP) (Photo by IZHAR KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Say hello to the Oranje (orange) or Leeuwinnen (the Lionesses).

19
New Zealand

Brett Phibbs-USA TODAY Sports

They’re known as The Football Ferns

20
Nigeria

(Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

They’re called The Super Falcons

21
Norway

(AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

They’ve been called The Grasshoppers.

22
Panama

Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)

They’re known as Las Canaleras.

23
Philippines

(Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP) / To go with “FBL-WC-2023-WOMEN-PHI”, by Allison JACKSON (Photo by TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty Images)

They’re called The Filipinas.

24
Portugal

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

I’ve seen the Selecao nickname used here.

25
Ireland

(Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

They’re called The Girls in Green.

26
South Africa

(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

The nickname is Banyana Banyana.

27
Spain

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

La Roja, or the red of their uniforms.

28
Sweden

(AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo, File)

They’re the Blue and Yellow.

29
Switzerland

(Marcel Bieri/Keystone via AP, File)

They’re La Nati.

30
United States

Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

Say hello to The Stars and Stripes.

31
Vietnam

(AP Photo/Emmanual Yogini, File)

Their nickname is the Golden Star Warriors.

32
Zambia

(Daniel Karmann/dpa via AP)

They’re known as The Shepolopolo, or Copper Queens.

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