It's Tuesday morning in the United States and every nation at the Women's World Cup has completed one match. Group A, the Group of Life, went ahead and completed their second games in the early hours so that makes our Power Rankings a little clearer, but this is how things stand in our eyes after just a taste of the tournament.
#32. Zambia
Linda Caicedo was a stellar figure in Colombia's 2-0 victory over South Korea in the Women's World Cup on Monday. The 18-year-old scored one of the winning goals, set a couple of historic records and became an inspirational tale by fulfilling her biggest dreams after surviving cancer.
Colombia's hopes of advancing to the Round of 16 needed a gleaming performance in their opening game of the tournament. And the penalty bagged by Catalina Usme at the half-hour mark was the perfect start to their journey.
The U.S. women's national team is in a position to win a record third straight World Cup because every player who steps on the field is expected to meet the high standards of their predecessors.
Sophia Smith is the latest example of a potential legend in the making, following in the footsteps of players such as Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and current teammate Alex Morgan.
You know it's got to be something special when you record a hat trick at the World Cup but the lasting memory of your performance is an audacious assist.
That was the case for 23-year-old Brazil forward Ary Borges, who grabbed three goals in her first appearance at the World Cup during the Seleção's 4-0 clattering of Panama.
Borges, who plays for Racing Louisville in the NWSL, had Brazil up 2-0 before halftime with a brace. Then, three minutes into the second half, she created Bia Zaneratto's third for Brazil with an unselfish heel flick.
MELBOURNE - Talismanic captain Alexandra Popp scored a brace as Germany launched their bid for a third Women's World Cup title with a 6-0 demolition of debutants Morocco on Monday.
In the tournament's most one-sided match to date, veteran striker Popp led from the front, heading in two first-half strikes before Klara Bühl, Lea Schüller and two own goals blew out the score after the break in front of 27,256 at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
If you've ever wondered who are the highest-paid women's soccer players on the planet, well, Forbes just published an article digging into the finances of the main stars at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
The business magazine talked to 20 experts in the industry to create their estimates and considered the players' salaries on-field as well as their main earnings off-field (endorsements, licensing, cash returns, etc).
The United States women's national team began their World Cup campaign in New Zealand on Friday, and their comfortable 3-0 victory over Vietnam was watched by record numbers back home on FOX and Telemundo.
A last-gasp goal by Amanda Ilestedt allowed Sweden to defeat South Africa 2-1 in their opening match at the 2023 World Cup.
Despite the win, the fans and the press were far from satisfied with the team's performance, deeming it "a disaster." Many believed that Sweden, ranked third in the FIFA rankings, should have demonstrated their superiority more emphatically against South Africa, a team positioned only 54th in the world.
SYDNEY - France's hopes of a winning start to their Women's World Cup campaign were thwarted by a hardworking Jamaican side in a 0-0 draw in the opening Group F clash at Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday.
The fifth-ranked French, semifinalists at last year's Euros, were unable to get their game going as the Jamaicans hassled and harried them throughout the 90 minutes to earn their first World Cup point after three losses on their 2019 debut.
DUNEDIN - The Netherlands kicked off their Group E campaign with a 1-0 win over Women's World Cup debutants Portugal at Dunedin Stadium on Sunday, thanks to a first-half goal from Stefanie van der Gragt that was awarded on a VAR review.
The Dutch edged Portugal 3-2 a year ago in the European Championship group stage, but this time the Iberian side were no match for the team in their trademark orange and did not have a shot on target until the 82nd minute.