Who is the most important player on each team of the Women’s World Cup 2023?

The USWNT’s Megan Rapinoe was the star of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 in France, winning both the Golden Ball and the Golden Ball as the Stars and Stripes won the tournament for the fourth time. The 38-year-old has announced that the Women’s World Cup 2023 will be her last and she will be hoping to go out with a bang in Australia and New Zealand.

Ahead of the big kick-off on Thursday 20 July, we take a look at who could play the ‘Rapinoe role’ for each team down under.

These player profiles are taken from articles which are part of a collaboration with the Guardian along with leading newspapers from each of the participating countries at the tournament.

Group A

New Zealand - CJ Bott

Regarded as the Ferns’ best player for her speed and aggression, CJ Bott’s presence was sorely missed as she recovered from injuries during the buildup. With 34 caps to her name, the Leicester City player is well regarded for her defensive abilities as well as her willingness to spearhead attacks.

She had a tough apprenticeship before proving herself as the first-choice right full-back. She understudied her mentor, Ria Percival, for about four years before seizing her chance. Bott said a home World Cup will be the pinnacle. “That’s just something that wasn’t even an option growing up,” she told Sky Sport. “No matter what team I ever play for that’s going to be the biggest moment of my career. I’ll be so proud.”

Written by Maree Mahony for RNZ.

Norway - Ada Hegerberg

The first ever female Ballon d’Or winner has made a mark not only on the pitch but also with her fight for equality between men and women and boys and girls. A six-time Champions League winner with Lyon, she quit international football in 2016 after becoming frustrated at what she perceived as a lack of support for the women’s team and for the development of girls’ football in Norway. “I hope I did everything for my sport to be appreciated, respected and left in a better way than what I found it in. It’s much bigger than me” she told the LA Times last year.

Written by Christina Paulos Syversen for TV2 Norge.

Philippines - Sarina Bolden

Sarina Bolden arrives in Australia and New Zealand having scored a joint record 22 goals in 37 appearances for the national side, as the winning penalty that secured World Cup qualification. She sets an example for the rest of the players with her heart-on-sleeve style of play, inspiring others to give their all too.

“I’m a player who has energy,” she told fifa.com. “I try my best to bring that energy and keep the tempo high. And I think I’m a leader on the field. All of that makes me the player that I am.” Having picked up experience from playing in the US, where she was born, Sweden, Taiwan and Japan, she has been with Western Sydney Wanderers since 2022.

Written by Ryan Fenix for GMA News Online.

Switzerland - Lia Wälti

Ramona Bachmann or Alisha Lehmann may be better known and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic more successful, but the most important player of the team is the captain, Lia Wälti – on and off the pitch. She has an outstanding understanding of the game and is socially incredibly competent, which heightens her authority as a leader. As early as 2015 Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, the current Germany coach, said she had the potential to be a world-class player at that year’s World Cup and although it took Wälti a bit longer to reach that status she is certainly there now. She moved to Arsenal in 2018 and immediately won the WSL title with her new club. And despite the ankle injury in May she is expected to captain Switzerland for the opening game against Philippines.

Written by Christian Finkbeiner for Blick.

Group B

Australia - Sam Kerr

There are few, if any, plaudits left to describe the goalscoring phenomenon that is Sam Kerr. The striker is in the form of her life and coming off the back of a goal-laden, double-winning season with Chelsea, during which she also claimed a host of individual accolades. She holds the Australian record for international goals – her 63rd helped down England earlier this year in her 120th international appearance – and such is her importance to the Matildas, there is a sense that she holds the hopes of a nation on her shoulders heading into this tournament. “One thing is her individual qualities as a footballer but even more valuable to this team is what she gives as a person and how she carries them,” Gustavsson has said of his inspirational captain. “It’s amazing.”

Written by Mike Hytner for Guardian Australia.

Republic of Ireland - Katie McCabe

Katie McCabe, who was named Arsenal’s player of the year for the season just ended, is the face of this Irish team, having been appointed her country’s youngest ever captain at 21 six years ago. Goals, assists, tackles, arguments with the ref, she brings the lot. The eternal debate, though, echoed at Arsenal, is where is she best deployed? Most Irish fans would prefer to see her further up the pitch, but the ever-cautious Pauw often slots her in to the left wing-back role. Wherever she plays, she’ll be central to Ireland’s World Cup prospects.

Written Mary Hannigan for The Irish Times.

Nigeria - Asisat Oshoala

Playing for a club of Barcelona’s stature, scoring as many goals as she does, being nominated for the Ballon d’Or and winning the African Women’s Player of the Year award four times is a strong case to be the star player of any team. Oshoala’s speed, agility and eye for the spectacular means the Super Falcons often look to her for inspiration. That is not always a positive for the team as a whole but it does challenge the rest of the team to raise their level. A role model off the pitch too, she has a foundation and academy for girls, looking to create the sort of opportunities she was denied when growing up.

Written by Solace Chukwu for Pulse Sports.

Canada - Christine Sinclair

In Canada there is no footballer more recognizable than Christine Sinclair. Arguably the greatest international footballer ever with a record 190 international goals in over 300 international appearances, Sinclair is almost bigger than the sport itself in Canada, not that the usually-reserved captain wants to be. The 14-time Canada Soccer Player of the Year has scored at four Olympics and five World Cups, and finally won her first major international honour with a gold medal at the Olympics in Tokyo. “Her humility has inspired me so much to be a better player, a better leader, and a person,” said teammate Shelina Zadorsky in June. “I appreciate still being able to continue to work with her at this stage in my life and career, and just have a friendship.”

Written by Benedict Rhodes.

Group C

Spain - Alexia Putellas

Alexia Putellas, 29, is Spain’s undoubted star. This tournament is a golden opportunity for the midfielder to shine with the whole world watching. Last summer, Putellas was robbed of the chance to dazzle on the big stage when an anterior cruciate ligament tear ruled her out of the Euros. Having recently returned from 10 months on the sidelines, the back-to-back Ballon d’Or winner is set to pull the strings for Spain once more.

There is a slight doubt, however, over whether she’ll be fit to start from the get-go. A 7-0 win against Panama in a friendly in June was her first start this year, with Putellas, who has now gone for the ‘Rapinoe’ hairstyle, scoring after 22 minutes. “The feelings were very good, not just for the goal that she scored but for her assists, for how she helped the team,” said Vilda. “That’s what we expect from Alexia, but it’s clear the best of Alexia is still to come, and we’ll do everything on our side to make that happen.”

Written by Amalia Fra for AS.

Costa Rica - Raquel Rodríguez

Costa Rica’s all-time leading scorer, Raquel Rodríguez is a midfielder who has reached 100 appearances and scored 55 goals for the national team. The 29-year-old is a tenacious player on the field and a leader. She was the first Costa Rican woman to score in a World Cup.

“In Costa Rica, we don’t have an army, so we always say that the soccer field is like our battlefield, for lack of a better term,” she told fifa.com. “Fans want to feel proud of what they’re watching, and that’s something we want to give them.”

Written by Fiorella Montoya for La Nacion.

Zambia - Barbra Banda

During Tokyo 2020, Barbra Banda made history by becoming the first woman in Olympic history to score consecutive hat-tricks. Despite the underwhelming Copper Queens’ performance, the Shanghai Shengli forward stood out as one of the most exciting players at the tournament. On her aims going into her debut World Cup, Banda told FAZ media: “We need to go there with full force and the mentality of winning.”

Written by Calvin Kaumba Chikenge for BolaNews.

Japan - Mina Tanaka

At 29 years of age, Tanaka is the oldest forward in the squad, and her 28 goals make her the highest scorer too. She has developed into an experienced striker and has finished top scorer of the Japanese domestic league four times. Her ability to perform when it counts has been evident ever since her full international debut in 2013, when she scored against Germany. Tanaka is capable of unleashing powerful shots with either foot, can break behind defensive lines, and is physically strong enough to hold up play as well.

Written by Mari Hibino and translated by Ben Mabley.

Group D

England - Keira Walsh

Many decent judges believe Keira Walsh is now the world’s best central midfielder and she arrives in Australia having just helped Barcelona win the Champions League. The general rule is that, if Walsh players well, so, too, do England. Nick Cushing, her former manager at Manchester City describes the Rochdale born 26-year-old with an unerring eye for a pass as “the most tactically intelligent player I’ve worked with.” A long standing fan of both City and the Spain men’s team, Walsh grew up idolising City’s David Silva.

Written by Louise Taylor for the Guardian.

Haiti - Melchie Dumornay

Despite her tender age, 19-year-old Melchie Dumornay will arrive at the World Cup with the dreams of a nation on her shoulders. Solid, fast, technical, an excellent goalscorer and a very good passer, Dumornay participated in the adventure of the U-20 World Cup in 2018 when she was not even 15 years old. With a new contract already agreed at one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Lyon, after shining at Reims last season, the stage is set for Corventina to become an even bigger superstar.

Written by Pierre Richard Midy.

Denmark - Pernille Harder

There is no doubt: Pernille Harder is not only the biggest name in the Danish squad, but also one of the stars of the whole tournament. This summer the 30-year-old plays in her first World Cup. “This tournament deserves players like Pernille Harder,” Søndergaard said to Fifa, and it is no mystery why. Denmark’s long-serving captain and all-time leading scorer is a two-time recipient of Uefa’s women’s player of the year award and has twice topped the Guardian’s list of the 100 best female footballers in the world. Now she is also a World Cup participant.

Written by Sofie Engberg Munch for TV 2 Denmark.

China - Wang Shuang

As with four years ago, China’s key player is still Wang Shuang. The 28-year-old, who can play as an attacking midfielder or a second striker, remains a preeminent virtuoso. As the most skilful player in Chinese women’s football, Wang is the source of creativity and the only highlight of China’s disappointing Tokyo Olympic campaign. Though she made little impact in the AFC Asian Cup due to a bone fracture, her resolution still inspired people around her. “Prior to the final, I asked if she could play and she said yes without any hesitation,” said Shui Qingxia. “This is the epitome of Chinese women’s football spirit.”

Written by William Bi.

Group E

USWNT - Sophia Smith

The pacy 22-year-old winger made a convincing pitch as the next face of US women’s soccer with an extraordinary 2022 for club and country, becoming the youngest ever NWSL MVP in leading the Portland Thorns to a third league title while adding 11 international goals to become the youngest player to lead the USWNT in scoring in a calendar year since 1993. With Swanson and Macario both scratched for the World Cup, the Americans will rely on Smith even more for scoring punch. “She can stop pushing now, and she will still be a very good player, one of the best players this country has ever produced,” says Thorns coach Rhian Wilkinson. “And my job is to keep pushing her, and to make sure she is the best player this country has ever produced because she has that in her right now.”

Written by Bryan Graham for the Guardian US.

Vietnam - Huynh Nhu

Huynh Nhu, the only exported Vietnamese player in the squad, is the captain, the main striker and the entire team’s inspiration. She has scored seven goals in her first season at Länk in Portugal. The five-times Vietnam Golden Ball Winner has shown great adaptability to the European environment and is discussing a contract extension with Länk. And what a coincidence: Portugal are Huynh Nhu and her teammates’ second opponent in the World Cup group stage.

In terms of playing style, Huynh Nhu is a comprehensive striker, she shoots well with either foot, is dangerous in the air and can dribble. Huynh Nhu is also a threat from free-kicks, as she has shown during her time at Länk.

Written by Minh Chien Tu for Zing.

Netherlands - Jill Roord

Jill Roord is the big name in the Oranje machine in the absence of injured star Vivianne Miedema. The daughter of former professional footballer René Roord has eye-catching technique, is two-footed and can pass the ball like no other. Her strike rate is also impressive for a midfielder: 21 goals in 86 internationals.

After a strong season with Wolfsburg in the Frauen-Bundesliga and the Champions League, Roord could not play a significant role in the final against Barcelona, who won in dramatic fashion, 3-2. The European champions tried and failed to sign Roord last season earlier this summer Manchester City lured the player to England earlier this summer.

Written by Steven Kooijman for De Telegraaf.

Portugal - Tatiana Pinto

“I have an individual prize here, but that is not important today, because we won everything: we won qualification for the World Cup.” The player of the match award for the playoff that took Portugal to the World Cup was another milestone in a great season for Tatiana Pinto, the 29-year-old midfielder who is experiencing the best phase of her career.

Like many of her generation, Pinto played with boys until her teens as there were no female youth teams. After spells at Sand in Germany and Bristol City, she played five seasons at Sporting and in 2021 moved to Levante. Last season, the dynamic midfielder was one of the highlights of a team that finished third in the Spanish league, scoring 12 goals and making three assists.

Written by Berta Rodrigues for Maisfutebol.

Group F

France - Wendy Renard

Renard will have plenty of veteran leadership alongside her in the form of players like Eugénie Le Sommer and Amandine Henry, but given that both have been out of favour in recent years, Renard will be the lynchpin for her country in what could be her final World Cup. Physically imposing and elegant on the ball, her leadership and aerial prowess at set pieces make her vital at both ends of the pitch, and if France are to reach their aims in this tournament, her strong play will no doubt be instrumental.

Written by Eric Devin for Get French Football News.

Jamaica - Khadija Shaw

The Guardian’s first female Footballer of the Year in 2018, the first player from the Caribbean to win the Concacaf Player of the Year Award in 2022, and Jamaica’s all-time leading scorer with 56 goals, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw’s career is one of bumps, bruises and of course, tremendous success.

The 6ft striker’s physicality and speed of thought had set her up for a dazzling career from a young age – aged 14 she played for Jamaica’s under-15, under-17 and under-20 teams. She made her debut for the senior side on 23 August 2015, scoring once in a 6-0 win over the Dominican Republic. She has lost siblings to violence and accidents but used those tragedies to fuel her passion for football.

Written by Sherdon Cowan for Sportsmax.tv.

Brazil - Marta

Marta, a six-time winner of the Best FIFA Women’s Player award, leads the squad in her sixth World Cup. A key figure on and off the field, she is regarded as one of the best players of all time. This will be her final World Cup and she would love to sign off by winning the trophy for the first time. Her teammates have made a pact: “We are taking inspiration from what Argentina did for Messi; we want to do the same for Marta,” said Kerolin.

Written by Amanda Porfirio and Mariana Santos for Fut das Minas, and translated by Adrielle Farias.

Panama - Marta Cox

Marta Cox is the star of the team. The midfielder was introduced to football by her aunt Raiza Gutierrez, who was captain of the national team in the late 1990s, and made her debut for Panama’s under-20 team aged just 14. She has gone on to win the league title with Chorrillo FC and CD Universitario, and became the first Panamanian player to win the Costa Rica women’s league when with Alajuelense. In 2021 she became the first Panamanian to play in the Mexican Women’s MX League with Club León and in 2022 the first Panamanian to play for Pachuca Femenil, where she shares a dressing room with elite players such as Spain’s Jenni Hermoso. Cox is an idol for girls from poor neighborhoods who see in her an inspiration that it is possible to travel the world and play football regardless of social class.

Written by José Miguel Domínguez Flores.

Group G

Sweden - Fridolina Rolfö

Fridolina Rolfö showed her qualities with Wolfsburg but had never had a full season without injury before joining Barcelona, where the head coach Jonathan Giraldez converted her into a left-back. “I remember people thought that I was crazy at first for playing her as a left-back,” he told Fotbollskanalen. “But to me she isn’t a left back, she’s a left winger.” A player who would make it into any national team, Rolfö can be the difference maker for Sweden.

Written by Amanda Zaza for fotbollskanalen.se.

South Africa - Thembi Kgatlana

Thembi Kgatlana is one of the most influential footballers South Africa has produced.

“Thembi is a special player,” Ellis said of her star forward. “You know what to expect from her. But sometimes you can’t stop it. The 27-year-old did not play much of a role as South Africa won Wafcon after suffering an achilles tendon injury during the group stage. The injury kept her off the field for almost a year; now she is back to her scintillating best.

Written by Yanga Sibembe for the Daily Maverick.

Italy - Manuela Giugliano

Manuela Giugliano is quickly becoming the leader of Italy’s midfield and one of the players to watch in European football. She can play as a playmaker or a No 10, always displaying her style, vision, reading of the game and her ability to open up passing lanes that other players haven’t seen. At 25, she won her first scudetto with Roma this year and seems ready to step up. “I found a balance I’ve never had,” she said this year.

Written by Luca Bianchin and Martina Angelini for Gazzetta dello Sport.

Argentina - Estefanía Banini

In 2021, Estefanía Banini became the first Argentinian woman to be named in FIFA’s World XI. Her technique and ability mean the 33-year-old Mendoza-born midfielder remains key to the national side. This will be her second and probably last World Cup. “I understand that this is over [soon] and I have enjoyed it to the fullest,” she said. “I have mixed feelings: I would love to play for life, especially with the national team.”

Written by Micaela Cannataro for AS.

Group H

Germany - Alexandra Popp

Without doubt Alexandra Popp is the most popular player in the German squad. This is partly due to her sense of humour. And certainly because Popp – an honest worker – always makes the extra effort. But the 32-year-old’s footballing qualities should not be underestimated either. You often don’t know how she has scored the goals she does. Popp scored in every European Championship match until the final – in which she was crucially absent due to injury. Then she became the top scorer in the Bundesliga for the first time: “I would have gladly swapped the championship trophy with the goalscoring trophy,” she said afterwards. It is quite possible that Popp, the striker, will not play up front but in midfield, as she often does for Wolfsburg.

Written by Nico Horn for Die Zeit.

Morocco - Ghizlane Chebbak

Ghizlane Chebbak is the face of Moroccan women’s football. Her late father was a Moroccan international and was part of the team that won the sole Afcon title for the Atlas Lions in 1976. He was also Ghizlane’s biggest supporter when she decided to play football. Chebbak is captain of local giants AS Far and is an icon in the country. Whenever she has the time, she speaks to young girls, encouraging them to follow their dream and to put the work in. “Moroccan people love watching football and they love supporting anyone who represents the country,” she told fifa.com.

Written by Amine El Amri for Le Matin.

Colombia - Catalina Usme

Team captain and the example that others follow, Catalina Usme recently struck her 50th goal for Colombia, to consolidate her place as the country’s all-time leading goalscorer. Star of the Colombian league where she is also the leading markswoman, Usme has landed two titles with América de Cali and last year bagged her 30th goal in the Women’s Copa Libertadores to also lead the goalscoring charts in South America’s biggest club tournament.

“Throughout my playing career, I’ve learned that leading by example is the best way of demonstrating leadership,” Cata, as she is fondly known, explained. “You can have good or bad days, normal days or spectacular days where you get carried out on somebody’s shoulders, or people drag you down and hit you hard. But what I will never do is to stop working hard.”

Written by Andrés Osorio Guillot for El Espectador.

South Korea - Ji So-yun

Ji So-yun was the nation’s youngest ever player, making her debut aged 15 in 2006, and has gone on to become Korea’s all-time top scorer, overtaking men’s football legend Cha Bum-kun. She is nicknamed “Ji Messi’' for her technical ability and moments of brilliance. Ji is a seven-time winner of the KFA Player of the Year award and became the first South Korean in England’s WSL when she joined Chelsea in 2015. Ji made the PFA WSL Team of the Year five times and won 11 trophies with London club.

Written by Rachel Hur for Sports Donga.