10 stars at the 2023 Women's World Cup

AP news agency named 10 players expected to shine at the 2023 Women's World Cup, such as Alex Morgan or Marta.

It’s her fourth World Cup, but Alex Morgan has won two with the United States, an Olympic gold medal and is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. The tournament in Australia and New Zealand will give her the chance to win three consecutive World Cups, something no other player has done, male or female. The 34-year-old has won 11 international titles and the Champions League with Lyon. A World Cup title could be Morgan’s farewell to the world’s biggest tournament.

Another record holder heading into the 2023 World Cup is striker Christine Sinclair , who will represent Canada. No player has scored as many goals for a national team, men or women, with Sinclair scoring 190 goals in 319 games for Canada. The 40-year-old forward will be playing in her sixth World Cup, and has no plans to hang up her boots. Sinclair has won eight international titles with Canada, including a gold medal at the 2021 Olympics.

The 2023 World Cup has a host of star strikers, but Sam Kerr is the favourite to win the Golden Boot, as she is in the prime of her career. The 30-year-old is the first Australian player, male or female, to score a hat-trick at a World Cup. She was the top scorer at the 2022 Asian Cup with seven goals, making her the highest scorer in Australia's history, surpassing Tim Cahill. The Chelsea star has been England's player of the year for the past two seasons, scoring the winner against Man Utd in the FA Cup final. Playing on home soil, Kerr could help Australia advance further in the tournament.

Wendie Renard is a mainstay of Lyon - a 16-time French champion and eight-time Champions League winner. The 1.87m-tall 33-year-old centre-back is considered the best French player of all time. Renard retired from international football in February 2023 because she "did not support the current environment". But after coach Corinne Diacre was sacked and replaced by Herve Renard, she returned to the national team and played with her teammates at the World Cup.

Another player who has attracted more attention at Lyon is striker Ada Hegerberg - who is considered the Lionel Messi of women's football. In the past nine seasons for Lyon, the 28-year-old has averaged 1.1 goals per game, with 243 goals in 219 games. The Norwegian centre-back has won the Champions League six times, and was the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner. Hegerberg's team have also been drawn in an easy group at the 2023 World Cup, alongside hosts New Zealand, the Philippines and Switzerland.

Alexia Putellas emerged after Hegerberg, but is widely considered the best player in Europe right now. The Spain international won the Ballon d'Or twice in 2021 and 2022, as she helped Barca win the Champions League twice. However, Putellas suffered a knee ligament injury last year, which kept her out of action for around 10 months. It was a success for Putellas to return for the World Cup, but can she help Spain reach the quarter-finals for the first time?

Also returning from a long-term injury is Marta - a legend of women's football, although she has never won a World Cup. The Brazilian is a record six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, double the number of awards won by second-place Birgit Prinz. However, the 37-year-old striker's form has been poor, having spent 11 months recovering from a knee ligament injury. Brazil coach Pia Sundhage has said that Marta may be on the bench for the 2023 World Cup.

Brazil's hopes will rest on striker Debinha , with his speed and creativity. The 32-year-old star was the best player of the North American tournament in 2019, and was in the best team in 2022. Debinha is expected to help Brazil win the World Cup for the first time, when they can easily overcome Group F with France, Jamaica and Panama.

Germany are also favourites to win the 2023 World Cup, and they will need striker Alexandra Popp to shine to achieve that goal. Last year, Popp became the first player to score in five Women's Euros. She scored six goals in the tournament, helping Germany reach the final. However, an injury in the warm-up meant Popp had to sit out as her teammates lost to England. She also lost the 2023 Champions League final with Wolfsburg, despite leading Barca 2-0. However, the 32-year-old's career has been filled with glory, with three Champions League titles and a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics.

A key player for the European champions England is right-back Lucy Bronze , who is considered to have a hunger to win and a modern style of play. The 32-year-old has won seven national titles in three different competitions, and was part of the Barca team that won the 2023 Champions League. England are also on a high after winning the Intercontinental Cup, aiming to conquer the World Cup.

Vnexpress.net