The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is upon us and a whole host of Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship stars will be in action.
Sixteen of the 32 nations descending on Australia and New Zealand have BWSL and BWC players in their squads, with European champions England leading the way with 20 of their 23 plying their trade in the Super League.
The World Cup gets underway on 20 July with the final taking place exactly one month later, but who are the BWSL and BWC stars who could be holding the trophy?
Group A
Co-hosts New Zealand kick off the tournament when they take on Norway with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Rebekah Stott selected among the Football Ferns’ 23-player squad.
Norway have two Chelsea stars among their team, with assist queen Guro Reiten joined by midfield maestro Maren Mjelde.
Two Arsenal teammates have been named in Switzerland’s squad with Noelle Maritz and La Nati captain Lia Wälti in Inka Grings’ squad who take on the Philippines first up.
New Zealand: CJ Bott (Leicester City), Anna Leat (Aston Villa), Ria Percival (Tottenham Hotspur), Rebekah Stott (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Norway: Guro Bergsvand (Brighton & Hove Albion), Julie Blakstad (Manchester City), Vilde Bøe Risa (Manchester United), Frida Maanum (Arsenal), Maren Mjelde (Chelsea), Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
Switzerland: Luana Bühler (Tottenham Hotspur), Alisha Lehmann (Aston Villa), Noelle Maritz (Arsenal), Lia Wälti (Arsenal)
Alisha Lehmann of Aston Villa celebrates after scoring their team’s second goal during the FA Women’s Super League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa
Group B
Australia begin their hosting duties by welcoming the Republic of Ireland to a sold-out Stadium Australia in Sydney.
Two talismanic captains swap their club rivalries for international ones as Matildas skipper Sam Kerr will take on Arsenal’s Katie McCabe.
The newest team in the BWSL, Bristol City, have one representative in the World Cup in the form of Ireland defender Chloe Mustaki.
While Championship clubs Birmingham City, Reading and London City Lionesses also have provided Girls in Green.
Meanwhile Kerr is joined in Group B by three Chelsea teammates with Jessie Fleming, Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence representing Olympic gold medallists Canada.
Australia: Mackenzie Arnold (West Ham United), Steph Catley (Arsenal), Caitlin Foord (Arsenal), Mary Fowler (Manchester City), Alanna Kennedy (Manchester City), Sam Kerr (Chelsea), Courtney Nevin (Leicester City), Kyah Simon (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayley Raso (Manchester City), Clare Wheeler (Everton), Lydia Williams (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Canada: Kadeisha Buchanan (Chelsea), Sabrina D’Angelo (Arsenal), Jessie Fleming (Chelsea), Cloé Lacasse (Arsenal), Ashley Lawrence (Chelsea), Adriana Leon (Manchester United), Jayde Riviere (Manchester United), Shelina Zadorsky (Tottenham Hotspur)
Republic of Ireland: Lily Agg (London City Lionesses) Izzy Atkinson (West Ham United), Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Diane Caldwell (Reading), Kyra Carusa (London City Lionesses), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Louise Quinn (Birmingham City), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City)
Steph Catley of the Matildas (L) and Sam Kerr of the Matildas pose with their jerseys during the Australia Matildas World Cup squad public presentation
Group C
There is only one team who has BWSL players in Group C and that is former winners Japan.
West Ham United duo Honoka Hayashi and Risa Shimizu are joined by the always-impressive Yui Hasegawa of Manchester City, and they will take on Spain, Costa Rica and Zambia.
Fuka Nagano has already earned plenty of fans during her first few months with Liverpool and she will now head to her first World Cup.
Japan: Maika Hamano (Chelsea), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City), Honoka Hayashi (West Ham), Fuka Nagano (Liverpool), Risa Shimizu (West Ham)
Yui Hasegawa of Manchester City during the FA Women’s Super League match between Manchester City and Everton FC
Group D
Manchester City have provided the most players to the Lionesses’ squad with Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly expected to shine on the wings for England.
Chelsea’s Millie Bright will captain her side while this season’s top goalscorer Rachel Daly of Aston Villa has been selected among the forwards having played as a defender at the Euros.
Alongside China and Haiti, England will take on Denmark who can call on three Everton players including midfielder Nicoline Sorensen.
Denmark: Karen Holmgaard (Everton), Kathrine Kühl (Arsenal), Emma Snerle (West Ham), Nicoline Sørensen (Everton), Katrine Veje (Everton)
England: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Laura Coombs (Manchester City), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Mary Earps (Manchester United), Bethany England (Tottenham Hotspur), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Esme Morgan (Manchester City), Jordan Nobbs (Aston Villa), Katie Robinson (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ellie Roebuck (Manchester City), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), Katie Zelem (Manchester United)
Group E
The Netherlands are flying the flag for the BWSL in Group E with six players in their squad.
Last time out, the Leeuwinnen finished as runners-up to the USA who they face in the group stages, also taking on Portugal and Vietnam.
Aston Villa fans will get their first looks at new signing goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar with another new recruit in the form of Manchester City’s Jill Roord also selected.
Netherlands: Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City), Aniek Nouwen (Chelsea), Victoria Pelova (Arsenal), Jill Roord (Manchester City), Katja Snoeijs (Everton), Daphne van Domselaar (Aston Villa)
Jill Roord of The Netherlands during the UEFA Women’s Euro England 2022 group C match between Switzerland and Netherlands at Bramall Lane
Group F
2019 hosts France have selected three BWSL players with Kenza Dali of Aston Villa joining up with Viviane Asseyi of West Ham United and Chelsea’s Eve Perisset.
They will take on Brazil, Panama and Jamaica in Group F, with the Reggae Girls boasting goal machine Khadija Shaw of Manchester City alongside Championship duo Paige Bailey-Gayle of Crystal Palace and Atlanta Primus of London City Lionesses.
France: Viviane Asseyi (West Ham), Kenza Dali (Aston Villa), Eve Perisset (Chelsea)
Jamaica: Paige Bailey-Gayle (Crystal Palace), Atlanta Primus (London City Lionesses), Khadija Shaw (Manchester City), Drew Spence (Tottenham Hotspur), Rebecca Spencer (Tottenham Hotspur)
Khadija Shaw of Manchester City during the FA Women’s Super League match between Manchester City and Everton FC
Group G
Olympic silver medallists Sweden have been drawn against Argentina, Italy and WAFCON champions South Africa.
Sweden have players from five BWSL clubs including Arsenal trio Stina Blackstenius, Lina Hurtig and new signing Amanda Ilestedt.
Everton’s Hanna Bennison and Nathalie Björn will line up alongside Johanna Rytting Kaneryd of Chelsea as their side looks to improve on their third place last time.
Sweden: Filippa Angeldahl (Manchester City), Hanna Bennison (Everton), Stina Blackstenius (Arsenal), Nathalie Björn (Everton), Lina Hurtig (Arsenal), Amanda Ilestedt (Arsenal), Zecira Musovic (Chelsea), Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea)
Stina Blackstenius of Arsenal during the FA Women’s Super League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Meadow Park
Group H
The final group at the World Cup includes three teams with BWSL players with Euros runners-up Germany selecting Chelsea duo Melanie Leupolz and Ann-Katrin Berger.
Morocco are making their World Cup debut and have Tottenham player Rosella Ayane to thank after she scored the penalty to send them to the WAFCON final, as they also become the first Arab nation to play in the tournament.
South Korea and Colombia complete Group G with the former calling on Cho So-hyun of Tottenham and Brighton’s Lee Geum-min.
Germany: Ann-Katrin Berger (Chelsea), Melanie Leupolz (Chelsea)
Morocco: Rosella Ayane (Tottenham Hotspur)
South Korea: Lee Geum-min (Brighton & Hove Albion), Cho So-hyun (Tottenham Hotspur)
Melanie Leupolz of Germany controls the ball during a women’s international friendly between Germany and Vietnam
