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England: Toni Duggan
It’s long been believed that English footballers don’t travel well. They prefer to stay in “Old Blighty,” where it’s comfortable and not so foreign and mum has the kettle on. But then there’s 27-year-old Liverpool native Toni Duggan, who’s just fired Barcelona to its first-ever Women’s Champions League final with five goals in the knockout rounds. Duggan made a name for herself in England with Everton and Manchester City, but she’s been on the books in Catalonia since July of 2017, and she was a part of the Barca-Atletico match that was attended by over 60,000 at the Wanda Metropolitano. Duggan believes that her time in Barcelona has improved her game mentally, tactically and technically, whereas “In England,” she says, “you might have a possession game of six v six and it’s like headless chickens, people running around everywhere just trying to keep the ball and be strong in tackles.” With Duggan in the side, England’s less of a headless chicken and more of a cosmopolitan, eight-limbed octopus.
Scotland: Erin Cuthbert
Two years ago, Erin Cuthbert was studying business at the University of the West of Scotland and playing part-time for Glasgow City. Now the 20-year-old has just finished a season with Chelsea in which she was named to the PFA Team of the Year, shortlisted for Player of the Year and scored against PSG in the quarters and Lyon in the semis of the Champions League. She’s been billed as the savior of Scottish football, so it only makes sense that she recently attended David Luiz’s 32nd birthday party dressed as William Wallace. The rising star found net at Euro 2017, becoming the first Scottish player to score at a major women’s tournament, but she’s also known for her “gallus,” a Lowland Scottish word for style and swagger — Cuthbert loves a cheeky nutmeg.
Argentina: Estefanía Banini
When you’re the captain and wear the number 10 for Argentina, the comparisons are inevitable: Estefanía Banini must be the women’s equivalent of Lionel Messi, right? While Banini is a big admirer of Messi, she says, “It’s very nice to be compared with one of the best players in the world and he’s also Argentine, but I’d like them to begin to know us by name and stop comparisons.” Although the men’s side is synonymous with international football, this is the women’s first appearance at the World Cup since 2007. In fact, following the 2015 event, the Argentina national team went more than two years without a game or even a squad get-together. There’s a lack of investment and resources in the women’s game, which has led to discrimination and inequality in Argentina, but that’s only fueled Banini’s desire to achieve her dreams. The 28-year-old has played professionally in Chile, the United States and Spain, where she recently tallied four goals and four assists in 19 matches for Levante. Off the pitch, she’s the dressing-room prankster and the locker room DJ, and she’s close to obtaining her coaching badges after working on them in both the U.S. and Argentina.
Japan: Yui Hasegawa
As a native of the Miyagi Prefecture, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake — which claimed the lives of nearly 16,000 people and caused $360 billion in damage — had a profound effect on Yui Hasegawa, and the uplifting tale of Japan capturing the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany only months later left an indelible mark on her. Hasegawa was determined to do the same thing one day. Now, as Japan begins its youth movement at the 2019 tournament, the 22-year-old represents the future of her national team’s midfield. Despite her tender age, Hasegawa already has 35 caps to go along with an impressive youth career that included a triumph at the 2014 U-17 World Cup. And while the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo represent a spectacular opportunity to achieve a gold medal dream on home soil, Hasegawa will be looking to emulate her idol Homare Sawa in leading her side to World Cup glory in France.
