THE PLAYERS TO KNOW
The Attacker: Sam Kerr, Australia
A name that will ring a bell for most. The Chelsea player and captain of the national team is considered one of the best forwards of all time in women’s football, and is currently the only Australian player — male or female — who has scored a hat-trick during a World Cup.
The Midfielder: Alexia Putellas, Spain
The midfielder to end them all. Putellas is a force of nature and ranked the best female footballer in the world, having won the Best FIFA Women’s Player and the Ballon d’Or in 2022. She’s captain of both the Spanish team and FC Barcelona FeÌminin, leading them all the way to a Champions League win this year.
The Defender: Fridolina RolfoÌ, Sweden
Having just ended her last season in FC Barcelona FeÌminin for a move to FC Bayern MuÌnchen, RolfoÌ is the backbone of the Swedish national team. She’s not your classic anchor, however: you’ll see her moving up on the pitch, pushing the team forward and even bagging a goal or two.
The Goalie: Mary Earps, England
This Lioness star needs no introduction after last year’s Euros. Earps kept a clean sheet albeit for two goals throughout the entire tournament — an impressive feat that awarded her The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper. Same thing again this year, yeah?
THE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP IN (RECORD-BREAKING) NUMBERS
1,000,000 - The total number of tickets sold for the tournament.
100,000 - Capacity for the opening ceremony after a stadium swap: raised from the 85,000-capacity original stadium to accommodate the high ticket demand.
$80,000,000 - Rise in prize money since 2019, when it was $30m.Thoughthe $110m for this year’s tournament is still only 25 per cent of the money offered to the winners of the men’s event in Qatar last year...
32 - Number of participating countries, an increase from 24 in 2019.
4 - Times the USA have lifted the Women’s World Cup, the most ever. Germany are next with two.
17 - Most goals scored in a Women’s World Cup, by Brazil’s Marta.
THE PREPARATION FOR THE GAMES
Due to the massive time difference between the UK and Oceania, the scheduling of the matches is somewhat... inconvenient. Luckily, England’s matches are relatively sociable, but it does raise the question: how early is too early for a pint? This is the summer we’re going to find out.
22 July, 10.30am: England begin with a Saturday game against Haiti (pretty safe to say the odds are high of the Lionesses winning). Gather all your mates for brunch and line your stomachs during the first half. As the second half starts, bring in the mimosas, and by the time 90 minutes have passed, get the celebratory pints and clear the rest of your afternoon.
28 July, 9.30am: Now, this is a trickier one. The Lionesses’ second match is against Denmark, which will be tougher. If you, like me, have a nine-to-five job that hasn’t adapted to the four-day work week, this is not ideal. So, what to do? Camera off, muted mic, TV on and run to the closest pub at lunch to (hopefully) soak up the national pride. Who gets any work done on Friday afternoons anyway?
1 August, 12pm: We have definitely reached a pint-appropriate kick-off by the last game of the group stages. But, unfortunately, it’s on a Tuesday. And not exactly over a perfect lunch hour. The only solution is to double up on screens and put your multitasking skills to the test. One eye on Alessia Russo killing it on the pitch, one eye on a finance spreadsheet. What could go wrong?
(OR IF YOU’RE THERE... THE THINGS NOT TO BRING INTO THE STADIUM)
Balloons. Better leave those nine inflatable metallic letters spelling out ‘Lionesses’ at home.
Beachballs. What? No friendly volleyball allowed at half time? What’s the point of even going?
Ladders. How the hell are you meant to see anything now? Furious.
Construction tools. Don’t you dare start working on your birdhouse while the match is on.
Items used in martial arts and extreme sports. To be fair, this is football, not Kill Bill.
THE ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW
@indivisa
Your go-to account for anything and everything related to women’s football. Here, you’ll find match predictions, reactions, interviews with players as well as long reads. Follow this and you’re guaranteed to be completely clued up.
@_thisfangirl
An independent football community and veteran women’s account. It’s championed the game for years and organises safe and inclusive watch parties during both the men’s and women’s World Cups. Follow for features and beautiful match photography.
@premierlasses
Here’s the place where you’ll find the funniest meme round-ups and on-point social commentary. Follow for post-match thoughts and lots of lols.
THE BEST KITS
Just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover or a wine by its artistically designed label, you shouldn’t judge a team by its kit. That said, I rarely buy books with unappealing covers and always choose a funky label over a boring one. So let’s get down to who has the best kits and who, therefore, are the (visually) best teams.
JAPAN (away)
Come on, a pink sunset over Mount Fuji? No notes.
KOREA (away)
The bold choice of going with the colour combination red and hot pink can only be respected. Excellent kit.
JAMAICA (home)
The retro style of this home strip, with its thin stripes, is close to perfection. Gorgeous.
THE TOP TEAMS
If the FIFA rankings are anything to go by, the top three teams in the world are USA, Germany and Sweden, with England following in fourth place. But, if we look back at the past 12 months, this ranking doesn’t necessarily reflect who is most likely to win. Sure, the US are a strong team and definitely up there fighting for first place: same with Germany. Sweden, however, haven’t had a great year since the Euros — which, as a Swede myself, pains me to write (please, no one remind me of Alessia Russo’s backheel again). England, on the other hand, have beaten USA, Germany and Brazil this year and may very well make it very far in this World Cup. Another team to look out for are the Matildas, Australia’s national team. They’ll be playing on home turf and have already beaten the Lionesses in a friendly, so you can be sure they won’t be holding anything back when there’s a trophy at stake.
...AND THE NOTABLE REFS
SteÌphanie Frappart, France
The woman, the myth, the legend. You don’t mess with SteÌphanie Frappart. She has many firsts on her resumeÌ and made history leading the first all-female referee team at the men’s World Cup in Qatar. Bow down.
Salima Mukansanga, Rwanda
Considered one of the best referees across all genders in Africa. From World Cups, Afcon and the Olympics, there are few tournaments in which she hasn’t played a key role. Who needs VAR with Mukansanga?
Rebecca Welch, England
England’s only representative in the referee squad is none other than Rebecca Welsh. The NHS administrator- turned-professional referee made history in 2021 when she was appointed the first woman to referee an English Football League match.
THE PARTIES AND EVENTS TO GO TO
All Press Roastery, Dalston
Indivisa is hosting watch parties for the final stages of the tournament, serving up coffee and breakfast from 8am — make sure to RSVP.
The Castle, Islington
Its 10am opening times make it possible to watch the late-morning games with a pint or two in hand. Guinness for breakfast, anyone?
The Four Thieves, Battersea
Watch the morning and midday games from an HD projector, accompanied by brunch. Make sure to line your stomach in case of a win.
Griffin Belle, Vauxhall
For the really early games, the Griffin Belle has you sorted. Opening its doors at 7.30am, you’ll be able to cheer on with fellow early risers here.
AND FINALLY... IS IT COMING HOME?
With both Leah Williamson and Beth Mead, two of the Lionesses’ key players, missing, the line-up is different from last year’s winning team. But it is still a very solid squad. Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Alessia Russo, Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly, Georgia Stanway and, of course, Mary Earps, are all star players and will undoubtedly put on a fantastic performance. I genuinely believe they will go far and I’m excited to see the support from fans here in London. But with all of this said, I’m Swedish and would rather see Sweden win. Sorry not sorry.
