Australia carries the weight of expectation into a Women’s World Cup on home soil. So, which football powerhouses stand between them and glory?
Ben Smith takes a look at the contenders at the tournament.
USA
Here we go again. Death, taxes and the USWNT plotting a deep run at the Women’s World Cup.
They were the first winners and having won the last two tournaments, they will be confident of a three-peat.
The gap may have narrowed between them and the rest of the world, but the US still see themselves as the gold standard – and not for no reason.
Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and Lindsey Horan have been there and done it all before, but results at the end of last year will sting though – they lost to England, Spain and Germany amid concerns they have lost their luster.
England
Six months ago, England would have been red-hot favourites for this tournament.
Basking in the glow of a 2021 European Championship win on home soil, which featured a sold-out Wembley witnessing history in their extra-time win over Germany, Sarina Wiegman’s side appeared to be gelling at the right time.
And then, the injuries came – star forward Beth Mead tore her ACL in November; inspirational slipper and defender Leah Wiliamson suffered the same tragic fate in April; Chelsea attacking midfielder Fran Kirby was then forced out through knee surgery.
However, even without the loss of three talismanic stars, England have plenty of depth to call upon and expect to challenge for honours – and in players like Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh, Mary Earps, Millie Bright, Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo, there is still an enormous pool of top-end talent to pull from.
Germany
The runners-up at last year’s European Championships will be keen to add a 2023 Women’s World Cup trophy to their victories at the 2003 and 2007 tournaments.
Traditionally a powerhouse at the women’s level of the game, the Germans will arrive with a strong squad, headlined by veteran striker Alexandra Popp and wunderkind Lena Oberdorf, who both play for Champions League runners-up Vfl Wolfsburg.
Their lead-in to the World Cup has been mixed, with wins over France, USA and the Netherlands mixed in with a draw against Sweden and losses to USA, Brazil and Zambia.
But this is a Germany team who knows how to navigate a major tournaments and has the right squad profile to plot a path towards a deep run at the World Cup.
In any case, the Germans will be hoping to continuing their unfortunate record of going out at the hands of the eventual champions – on five separate occasions, they have fallen to the eventual winners.
Spain
The women’s game has well and truly arrived in Spain, and their national team harbours hopes of a monumental first Women’s World Cup title.
Just as Barcelona’s women have become the top dogs at club level, La Roja’s women have become a European powerhouse.
But it has not all been smooth sailing for the Spaniards – last year, 15 players stepped away from the team in one foul swoop, citing deterioration of mental health while on national team duty and it was later reported players had clashed with coach Jorge Vilda.
however, the Spanish federation backed in their coach and there has been a ceasefire or an understanding reached in recent months, as key players have slowly began to return to the team.
Whether there is enough harmony in the squad remains the question, but if everyone is on the same page and happy, there is more than enough talent at Spain’s disposal to go far in the tournament.
France
Les Blueus have never won a Women’s World Cup – but come July 20, do not be surprised if that has changed.
With a combination of depth and superstars, this French team might just represent their best chance of a breakthrough World Cup win.
They will benefit greatly from the presence of Wendie Renard defensively and although the loss of PSG superstar Marie-Antoinette Katoto will sting, they can call on Kadidiatou Diani, Delphine Cascarino and Eugenie Le Sommer in the final third.
Like many of their fellow contenders, their players proliferate the playing ranks of many of Europe’s biggest clubs – PSG, Lyon, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea.
The team also has an ace up their sleeve in former Saudi Arabia men’s coach Herve Renard – who led the Green Falcons to their shock defeat of Argentina a last year’s men’s World Cup – who has taken the reigns of France.
Australia
The Matildas will enter the tournament with a weight of expectation on their shoulders – although such expectation may be a touch misguided.
They are ranked 10th in the world by FIFA and their performances this World Cup cycle have not always been confident.
Home ground advantage will count for a lot, as will the likes of Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord in attack, and Ellie Carpenter and Steph Catley bombing forward from full-back.
The jury is still out on coach Tony Gustavsson, but improvement has been evident over the past 12 months; whether that improvement is enough to take Australia all the way remains to be seen.
The heart of defence will be crucial for the Matildas, and the fitness of Alanna Kennedy could be vital to their chances.
A final berth may not be beyond them, but it does seem more unlikely than not.