Forwards will ultimately make all the difference at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
A strong defence will only get you so far because there always needs to a striker or winger at the other end to make the most of it and actually put the ball in the net.
This summer marks the biggest ever World Cup and that means attacking quality like never before will be seen on the global stage.
What are you waiting for?
Country: Norway
Club: Lyon
Age: 28
Position: Striker
Once the standalone superstar striker, Ada Hegerberg hasn’t played an awful lot of football since an ACL injury stopped her in her tracks in early 2020. She returned in 2021, but further injury problems limited her to only a handful of appearances for Lyon this past season.
That being said, she has still been prolific when fit and available. The Norwegian, who ended a five-year self-enforced international absence to play at Euro 2022, got four in five D1 games for Lyon on her latest return in the closing weeks of the club campaign. She is still deadly.
Country: Jamaica
Club: Manchester City
Age: 26
Position: Striker
Khadija Shaw enjoyed a relatively modest season of settling when she first arrived at Manchester City in 2021, sharing game time with Ellen White. But once White retired last summer, the Jamaican surged to new heights.
‘Bunny’ netted 31 times in all competitions for City, shattering the club’s previous single season scoring record. She is the world class star that could help Jamaica cause an upset against either France or Brazil.
Country: England
Club: Lauren Hemp
Age: 22
Position: Winger
Lauren Hemp showed when she gave England the lead against the United States at Wembley back in October that she is a player for the big occasions. She also netted a fine goal in an unexpected Manchester City win over Chelsea in the WSL in March.
Still somehow only 22, Hemp has amassed considerable experience so far in her career and is the kind of player capable of making something happen out of nothing. It’s how you win tight games in tournaments.
Country: Denmark
Club: Bayern Munich
Age: 30
Position: Striker
Having missed plenty of the 2022/23 club season through injury, Pernille Harder should be relatively fresh going into the World Cup. She was back for Chelsea in April and helped push them over the line in the WSL title race.
The Dane, a Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2018 and the most expensive player in history until last year, completely changed the game in the FA Cup final at Wembley in May. She will lead Denmark by the finest of examples.
Country: Germany
Club: Wolfsburg
Age: 32
Position: Striker
“I love watching Alexandra Popp and the way she plays the game. I love her mentality – it must be the German mentality – she always finds a way to win and be in the right place at the right time,” BBC pundit Steph Houghton told 90min.
Popp has put injury hell behind her and returned to her brilliant best in 2022. She was Frauen-Bundesliga top scorer this past season and was also just a half of football away from powering Wolfsburg to Champions League glory.
Country: Norway
Club: Barcelona
Age: 28
Position: Winger
A winger who both scores and creates, Caroline Graham Hansen racked up 22 combined goals and assists in 19 appearances for Barcelona in 2022/23. She was also crowned a European champion again.
Norway endured a surprisingly disappointing Euro 2022 marred by a total collapse against England. But with players of such elite quality, it would be a shock if they fail to make it out of the group stage again.
Country: England
Club: Aston Villa
Age: 31
Position: Striker
It might seem odd that England’s starting left-back from Euro 2022 is now their ‘number nine’, but Rachel Daly has long been a top forward at club level and is only now getting the recognition she deserves.
She was signed by Aston Villa last summer to lead the line and did precisely that, scoring 22 WSL goals to equal the league’s all-time single season record playing in a team that finished fifth.
Country: United States
Club: San Diego Wave
Age: 34
Position: Striker
A two-time champion from 2015 and 2019, Alex Morgan is potentially playing at her last World Cup and comes into it having resurrected her career in spectacular fashion.
The veteran striker took time off in 2020 for the birth of her daughter and later endured a relatively fruitless loan at Tottenham. By 2022, she landed the NWSL Golden Boot and finished second in Best FIFA Women’s Player.
Country: United States
Club: Portland Thorns
Age: 22
Position: Striker
Sophia Smith is the player to take over Morgan’s mantle. She has already started in spectacular fashion, scoring 11 times at international level in what was a breakout 2022.
The rapidly emerging talent was named NWSL MVP for 2022 as Portland Thorns took the championship. So far in 2023, she has 16 direct goal contributions in 13 games and is the league’s top scorer on 10.
Country: Australia
Club: Chelsea
Age: 29
Position: Striker
Sam Kerr has scored 89 times across her three full seasons with Chelsea, an incredible return for the Australian conquering her third different country. She also has a reputation for coming up big when it matters most.
She is the face of this World Cup as her country’s captain and leading hope, but Kerr has ice in her veins and that will undoubtedly be of utmost importance when it comes to handling the pressure.
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