The ninth Women’s World Cup has been a truly extraordinary tournament – and could still reach a Sweet Caroline-soundtracked peak. With so much drama on the pitch, you could be forgiven for missing some of the highlights off it. Here’s our handy round-up of the past month’s mishaps and milestones during play and match adjacent…
Germany’s cursed koala
Before flying to Australia, Germany striker Klara Buehl knitted a cuddly koala wearing team colours. The cute crocheted marsupial became the side’s mascot. Players took turns to look after it and voted to name it Waru (the Aboriginal word for fire). It even appeared in team huddles and sat on the subs’ bench. When the two-time champions shockingly crashed out at the group stage, fans questioned whether Waru was so lucky after all.
