World Cups are made for stars, and stars often are made by World Cups. The 2023 edition of the biggest tournament in women’s soccer will be no different. And it will surely produce several new household names.
By now, most fans are likely well familiar with veteran American stars like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, but who else should be on the radar before the action kicks off in Australia and New Zealand?
Here are 10 non-United States players to watch at the upcoming soccer showpiece.
Sam Kerr, Australia
The face of the tournament in her co-hosting home country, and in most of the rest of the world, too. Kerr is a prolific scorer for the Matildas and English club Chelsea; she has the skill, charisma and striker’s cockiness to top any international soccer marquee.
Marta, Brazil
For a lot of people, the women’s soccer GOAT conversation starts with Michelle Akers and Mia Hamm. But take out the Americans — or ask any American player who’s the best in the rest of the world — and you’ll almost always get one answer. Brazilian playmaker Marta is it, and has been for a long time.
This will be the 37-year-old superstar’s sixth and last World Cup, and it could be her greatest. With a fleet of stars including Debinha and 23-year-old Kerolin, it’s Brazil’s best chance to win the title since the Seleção reached the 2007 final.
Christine Sinclair, Canada
A trivia question: Who’s the all-time top scorer for any national team in soccer history? You might think it’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 123 goals for Portugal’s men. In fact, it’s Sinclair, who has 190 goals for Canada’s women.
The 40-year-old forward is now in her 23rd year playing for Canada’s senior national team, and is as much of a leader as ever. Not only did she help her team win Olympic gold in 2021, but she’s been key in the players’ legal battle against Canada Soccer to get fair treatment and resources.
Lauren James, England
A year after becoming European champions, the Lionesses are one of the favorites to win the World Cup. They don’t just have elite top-end talent, they have serious depth. James, a high-flying and versatile attacker, is one of many fine examples.
Kadidiatou Diani, France
Les Bleues have been hit hard by injuries in recent months, including star striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, winger Delphine Cascarino, and stalwart midfielder Amandine Henry. But there’s still plenty of firepower for a deep run, including this veteran forward who can play both centrally and on the wing.
Lena Oberdorf, Germany
Whatever the betting odds officially say, the smart minds will tell you where to find the team most likely to dethrone the U.S. Germany’s squad is absolutely loaded, including a lot of players who helped VfL Wolfsburg reach this season’s Champions League final.
Oberdorf is one of them, and already is a star at age 21. The same goes for a lot of her teammates who are 25 or younger. They’re ready to put a third star on the 2003 and ‘07 champions’ jerseys, and it should surprise no one if they do it.
Caroline Graham Hansen, Norway
Norway was one of women’s soccer’s original superpowers, winning the 1987 and ‘93 Euros, 1995 World Cup, and 2000 Olympics. Four years ago, Norway returned to prominence by making the quarterfinals, and this year could bring another deep run — potentially meeting the U.S. in the quarters.
Graham Hansen is a firecracker of a player. Ignore whether she’s officially listed as a forward or an attacking midfielder. She can show up anywhere, get the ball, bring it forward, pass it, and shoot arrows into the net. A star for Barcelona in the Champions League, now she’s set for an even bigger stage at the World Cup.
Alexia Putellas, Spain
Spain has long been puzzling and underwhelming in international competitions. La Roja have so much talent, but for years lacked the mental steel needed to win the biggest games. A ferocious labor battle in recent times has helped, but at the cost of some star players boycotting this World Cup.
Putellas was part of the boycott for a while, but is now back in the fold. If she reaches top form, she will be must-watch — and the U.S. will be on high alert, because it could face Spain in the semis.
Caroline Seger, Sweden
There are bigger-name players on Sweden’s squad. And there certainly are a lot of younger players than the 38-year-old forward, as she’d be the first to admit. But as Seger heads to her ninth and last career major tournament, we give her a final salute in the pages of a newspaper where she has long been featured.
Thirteen years ago, Seger was a star forward for the Philadelphia Independence in the team’s first season. She remains fondly remembered by everyone who watched her, and she hasn’t forgotten it, either.
With 232 international caps heading into the World Cup, Seger has played the most national team games of any European player, men or women. Eighteen of those caps have come against the United States. There could be one more to come if the teams meet in the semifinals in New Zealand.
Barbra Banda, Zambia
We’ve given you a lot of well-known names on this list so far. Let’s conclude with one who isn’t as famous but could break out at the tournament.
At the Olympics two years ago, Banda scored hat tricks in back-to-back games against the Netherlands and China. Last summer, she helped Zambia finish third in the Africa Cup of Nations. And in Zambia’s last World Cup warmup game, she scored twice in a 3-2 upset win at Germany. Zambia might not get out of a group with Spain and Japan, but could have a lot of fun along the way.
Non-U.S. NWSL players at the World Cup
It’s no surprise that 22 of the 23 players on the U.S. team call NWSL clubs home. (Lindsey Horan, of France’s Lyon, is the one who doesn’t.) But the Americans are far from the only players from the NWSL at the tournament.
Sixty players from the league have gone Down Under, and 16 of the World Cup’s 32 teams have at least one player in the league on their rosters — a record total. It helps that the tournament expanded to 32 teams this time, after being at 24 in 2015 and ‘19. Still, it’s a nice milestone for the league, and a reminder that American fans will be able to watch these players on U.S. soil after the World Cup ends.
— Argentina (1): F Mariana Larroquette (Orlando Pride)
— Australia (2): M Alex Chidiac (Racing Louisville), M Emily van Egmond (San Diego Wave)
— Brazil (8): D Bruninha (Gotham FC), D Rafaelle Souza (Orlando Pride), M Adriana (Orlando Pride), M Andressa Alves (Houston Dash), M Ary Borges (Racing Louisville), M Kerolin (North Carolina Courage), F Debinha (Kansas City Current), F Marta (Orlando Pride)
— Canada (8): GK Kailen Sheridan (San Diego Wave), D Allysha Chapman (Houston Dash), M Sophie Schmidt (Houston Dash), M Desiree Scott (Kansas City Current), M Quinn (OL Reign), F Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns), F Nichelle Prince (Houston Dash), F Jordyn Huitema (OL Reign)
— China (1): F Wang Shuang (Racing Louisville)
— Costa Rica (1): M Raquel Rodríguez (Portland Thorns)
— Denmark (3): D Stine Ballisager Pedersen (Kansas City Current), F Mille Gejl (North Carolina Courage), F Rikke Madsen (North Carolina Courage)
— Jamaica (2): M Havana Solaun (Houston Dash), F Cheyna Matthews (Chicago Red Stars)
— Japan (2): M Jun Endō (Angel City FC), M Hina Sugita (Portland Thorns)
— New Zealand (1): D Ali Riley (Angel City FC)
— Nigeria (3): D Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash), F Uchenna Kanu (Racing Louisville), F Ifeoma Onumonu (Gotham FC)
— Panama (1): F Riley Tanner (Washington Spirit)
— Republic of Ireland (3): M Sinead Farrelly (Gotham FC)*, M Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), F Marissa Sheva (Washington Spirit)*
* — Farrelly and Sheva are Philadelphia-area natives, from Havertown and Sellersville, respectively.
— South Africa (1): F Thembi Kgatlana (Racing Louisville)
— Sweden (1): F Sofia Jakobsson (San Diego Wave)
