The Women’s World Cup is one of the most highly anticipated events in women’s football, in fact, in football in general! Every year we see new talent and the exceptional skill of female players emerge in some of the world’s largest and most popular stadiums. We are set to see the World Cup for women kick off this week (20th July) and so this Kixx blog aims to explore the top 5 women to watch in this year’s world cup.
The road to women’s football has much history, and if the recent successes of our Lionesses are anything to go by, has so much more to give! The Women’s World Cup is close on our horizon, so let’s turn out attention to who may catch our eye this year.
Who To Watch In This Year’s Women’s World Cup
There are so many exceptional talents that take to the stage (or the pitch, should we say) every year, from across the nation. It really is difficult to narrow it down to just 5! Let’s explore who we think are the top 5 women to watch across the globe this year.
Megan Rapinoe (United States)
Megan Rapinoe, the captain of the United States women’s national soccer team, is an influential figure both on and off the field. Starting at the young age of just three years old, after watching and idolising her older brother who played football, the famous forward has lived and breathed soccer, with the hope of one day becoming the footballing sensation she is today. Known for her fierce determination, Rapinoe played a vital role in her team’s victory in the previous World Cup.
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
Nigeria has been at every World Cup since 1991 but has never made it beyond the quarter finals! Playing for Barcelona and for her home country, this World Cup is Asisat Oshoala, regarded as one of the best female footballers in the world! Having won many titles in her time, this year she is most certainly one to watch. Oshoala was the first player from an African nation to compete in the English women’s league when she joined Liverpool at the start of her footballing career.
Leah Williamson (England)
The captain of our Lionesses, Leah Williamson took our country to victory in the last International tournament for the English women, and we can expect to see her achieve great results again in this year’s World Cup competition. At just 26 years old, she has already achieved great success for our country. Leah played football from as young as 6 years old and joined Arsenal’s Centre of Excellence at the age of 9. She is most definitely one to watch this year!
Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands)
Netherlands’ record goal scorer, Vivianne Miedema, the Dutch striker, has been in sensational form in recent years. Having started playing for her hometown’s club as young as 5 years old, this young footballing superstar played for boys teams for most of her childhood. As the all-time leading scorer for the Netherlands, she will be eager to continue her goal-scoring exploits and propel her team to success in the World Cup.
Marta Vieira da Silva (Brazil)
Regarded as a veteran of the sport, Marta will see her sixth World Cup tournament with her home country Brazil this year. Discovered at the age of 14 years old, Marta has gone on to achieve great success in football and is in fact regarded as the greatest female football player of all time. Holding the record for the most goals scored in the Women’s World Cup, we are sure to see great success for Brazil, guided by this footballing superstar!
Women’s World Cup: Inspiring The Next Generation
The FIFA Women’s World Cup promises to be a showcase of talent, skill, and determination. The five women to watch that we have explored in this blog are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the talent we are yet to experience this Summer. As the world turns its attention to the Women’s World Cup, these remarkable athletes have the potential to inspire a new generation of footballers and leave a lasting legacy on the sport.
Although not all, many of these female sporting stars started young and were often guided by their schools or local academies to get into the sport and make a mark in the footballing world. This blog has explored the true inspirations that share the message that girls can do it too!
If you know a young girl, empowered by these top 5 women, that would like to get involved with football lessons, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can reach us by calling 01302 618080 or email us at admin@kixx.org.uk.
