England entered its quarterfinal matchup against Colombia on Saturday at a disadvantage: Midfielder Lauren James, its top player, was given a red card and suspended after stepping on a Nigerian player in the Round of 16.

The Lionesses then went down a goal when Colombian midfielder Leicy Santos scored in the 44th minute.

England, however, was hardly ready to lie down. Forward Lauren Hemp knotted the game at 1 late in the first half, before forward Alessia Russo scored the go-ahead goal in the 63th minute.

“I really believe the best is yet to come,” said England goalkeeper Mary Earps. “There is so much talent in this group, and so many more levels that we can go.”

England’s national team has been on the rise in recent years, after winning the 2022 UEFA European Women’s Championship. The Lionesses also advanced to the World Cup semifinal in 2019.

The U.S. Women’s National Team’s stunning exit in the Round of 16 has created a void at the top of the international field – the USWNT won back-to-back World Cups in 2015 and 2019 – and England could be primed to fill it.

The Lionesses’ road forward will hardly be easy, though. England will play host Australia, which is coming off an emotional penalty kicks victory over France, in a semifinal match on Wednesday. And James will be unavailable once again because of the Nigeria incident.

“It’s exciting,” Russo said. “You want to play against the best teams.”

When Sam Kerr, the legendary Australian forward, entered her team’s quarter matchup against France in the 55th minute Saturday, Suncorp Stadium came unglued.

So after Australia’s emotional 7-6 penalty kicks victory, Kerr went into the crowd herself, peeling off her jersey and delivering it to a young fan, creating one of the more memorable moments of the World Cup so far.

Kerr, the Australian captain, is the all-time leading goal scorer in Australian international history and a national icon. “Sam is the best striker in the world,” teammate Emily van Egmond said in advance of the match. “There’s no other way to look at it other than that.”

Kerr suffered a calf injury before the World Cup, though, and had been limited entering the France game. She had only played 10 minutes in the tournament, entering in the 79th minute of the team’s 2-0 win over Denmark in the Round of 16.

Australian coach Tony Gustavsson decided to once again bench Kerr for the France match, a decision that elicited some criticism. When she finally entered the game, early in the first half, it was a cathartic moment for fans.

In the 61st minute, Kerr attempted a left-footed shot from the box, but it was saved. The teams were scoreless at the end of overtime, triggering penalty kicks. Kerr converted her penalty, and then Cortnee Vine did the same to seal the victory and send Australia to its first World Cup semifinal.

Kerr handed the young fan her jersey and gave her a hug, and the fan beamed, her mouth agape. It was a fitting end to an evening no Australia fan will soon forget.

The U.S. Women’s National Team faces a stiff test in the Round of 16 against Sweden. The teams last played in the group stage at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, with Sweden earning the 3-0 victory.

If the USWNT can atone for that defeat and advance to the World Cup quarterfinal, things will hardly get easier. Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s team would then play Japan, which defeated Norway, 3-1, in its Round of 16 match on Saturday.

For all of the USWNT’s struggles in the group stage, Japan was dominant, out-scoring its opponents 11-0 en route to three victories.

Japan outshot Norway, 16-8, on Saturday and controlled possession for 61 percent of the game. Hinata Miyazawa iced the game for Japan with a goal in the 81st minute, her fifth of the World Cup.

Spain was also victorious on Saturday, defeating Switzerland, 5-1. Should the USWNT advance to the semifinal round, it would play either Spain or the winner of Netherlands/South Africa. But first, Andovoski’s team needs to get past Sweden.

“For everyone who wants to see more, we promise we’re going to do everything we can,” Andovoski said. “We are preparing ourselves the best that we can to provide success and meet the expectations. But first and foremost, we want to make sure we meet our own expectations.”

The U.S. Women’s National Team understands what’s at stake.

Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s team advanced to the Round of the 16 – it will play Sweden on Sunday – despite not playing its best in the group stage. Co-captain Alex Morgan believes the team has learned from what went wrong and is eager to prove itself against Sweden.

“I think we’ve broken down what went wrong, how we can fix that, in possession, out of possession, how we can capitalize on the chances we have in front of goal, how we can create more chances in front of goal, how I can put away the chances that I’m given,” Morgan told reporters.

The USWNT has endured harsh criticism from fans and experts in the wake of its 0-0 draw against Portugal in the final game of the group stage. The two-time defending World Cup champion would’ve been eliminated from the tournament with a defeat.

“There’s no sugarcoating it, we had a bad game,” Morgan said. “And we are lucky. We have moved on from that and are looking forward to this match. We’ve prepared every second we possibly could in creating the most chances, on limiting [Sweden] in chances, and I feel very motivated for the match.”

Morgan scored six goals in the 2019 World Cup but hasn’t found the back of the net yet. But Morgan believes she and her teammates will make the necessary adjustments for a stronger showing against the No. 3-ranked team in the world.

“It hasn’t been the tournament that I would have hoped,” Morgan said. “But at the same time, having this incredible opportunity in front of us in the round of 16, facing Sweden, a team we know extremely well, I think there’s no question we are highly motivated to play this game.”

The U.S. women’s national team roster is here, and preparations will soon begin for the team’s World Cup title defense later this summer.

Before the 23 players named to the U.S. roster board the plane for New Zealand and kick off the group stage against Vietnam on July 21, test your knowledge on the USWNT with our interactive quiz!

The U.S. women’s national team has named its 23-player roster for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. From 37-year-old Megan Rapinoe — a two-time World Cup champion with the USWNT — to 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson, the players vary in age and international soccer experience.

They also hail from different regions of the country. A team-leading eight players are natives of California, while two players each come from New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, Georgia and Colorado.

Find out which state every U.S. player calls home with our interactive map below.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is underway. To help you stay up-to-date on news, game schedules, roster updates and more, Just Women’s Sports has created this World Cup hub. Make sure to bookmark this page so you can keep tabs on the latest news and updates from Australia and New Zealand.

Latest World Cup News

July 23, 2023:

July 22, 2023:

July 21, 2023:

July 20, 2023:

July 19, 2023:

How to Watch the 2023 World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup began on July 20 and runs through August 20. A complete tournament schedule can be found here.

WWC Scouting Reports

Who made the 2023 U.S. World Cup roster?

Here is the U.S. Soccer roster for the 2023 Women’s World Cup:

Goalkeepers (3)

Defenders (7)

Midfielders (7)

Forwards (6)

If you want to learn more about the 23 players who made the USWNT by experience level or their NWSL team, we’ve got you covered:

What about WWC rosters for the rest of the world?

Which USA players are missing the Women’s World Cup?

Injuries have sidelined quite a few players from this summer’s tournament, while other athletes have fallen out of favor with the national teams since the 2019 World Cup. Here are a few resources on the topic:

Who are the USWNT captains?

With Becky Sauerbrunn absent due to injury, U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski selected Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan to serve as co-captains. Read more about their selection here.

For the latest news and analysis, follow our dedicate homepages for the USWNT and the Women’s World Cup.

2023 Women’s World Cup Groups and Tournament Format

The Women’s World Cup field expanded from 24 teams to 32 teams for 2023. The 32 teams are split into eight groups of four:

  • Group A: New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland
  • Group B: Australia, Ireland, Nigeria, Canada
  • Group C: Spain, Costa Rica, Zambia, Japan
  • Group D: England, Denmark, China, Haiti
  • Group E: United States, Netherlands, Portugal, Vietnam
  • Group F: France, Jamaica, Brazil, Panama
  • Group G: Sweden, South Africa, Italy, Argentina
  • Group H: Germany, Morocco, Colombia, South Korea

The top two teams from each group will advance to a 16-team bracket for the knockout rounds. More information about the tournament format and tie breaking procedures can be found here.

Becoming a mother has brought a new perspective to Crystal Dunn’s game.

The U.S. Women’s National Team defender is heading to her second World Cup. But since Dunn gave birth to her son Marcel last May, she is seeing the game with fresh eyes.

“I feel like I’m a better athlete now, being a mom, because I have learned to really appreciate every little moment,” she told Just Women’s Sports. “Every pass, every tackle, just every moment I’m on the field I think I look at differently.”

Dunn astounded fans last year when she made her return to play less than four months after giving birth, rejoining the national team for its September training camp and the Portland Thorns for their NWSL Championship run in 2022. She’s looked strong to start 2023, scoring five goals so far in the NWSL regular season and starting five of seven USWNT matches leading up to this summer’s world championship in Australia and New Zealand.

And she’s doing it all while balancing two positions — her natural position of attacking midfielder for the Thorns and outside back for the USWNT. Dunn spoke out about the difficulty of making that switch for the first time earlier this year, though she also has come to recognize that versatility as her superpower and as part of her legacy.

“Playing multiple positions is something that I think I’ll be remembered for,” she said.

Referring to Marcel as her most prized possession, Dunn says her son is also her favorite person to FaceTime when she’s traveling (in addition to her husband Pierre Soubrier). The FaceTime calls won’t be necessary during this summer’s tournament, with Marcel also making the trip Down Under. Dunn is one of nine returning players from the USWNT’s 2019 championship roster, and one of three moms along with Alex Morgan and Julie Ertz.

“Being able to see my son in the stands has been the biggest joy of it all, just knowing that you know I’m playing for something so much bigger than just me winning games,” Dunn said. “I’m playing to be seen through his eyes. He doesn’t care if I miss a pass or lose a game.

“And I think that that’s really great. It gives me that comfort, knowing that I’m just out there doing the best I can and that’s really all that matters.”

Marcel even has her seeing the USWNT’s kits from Nike in a new light.

“The white ones kind of look like my son took a paintbrush and just literally threw his paintbrush at me, so I think that’s kind of cool,” said Dunn, a Nike athlete. “I know that’s funny to say, but I think it’s a different look… I think I like our blue jerseys a little bit better. It just looks clean. I like the color blue, and I think it just looks more American.”

The USWNT’s win against Wales showed off the potential of its front line, with forwards Trinity Rodman and Sophia Smith switching positions to great effect.

Rodman entered the match as a substitute at the No. 9, but she also flipped to the wings. The position flip helped her pull off some late-game heroics, as she scored two goals in the the 2-0 win — the second of which USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski called “world-class.”

Following the game, Andonovski noted that Rodman entering the game elevated the USWNT.

“She was one of the players that went in and had a task to fulfill to raise the pace and the tempo of the game a little bit,” he said. “And we saw that the tempo changed dramatically.”

At halftime, Andonovski asked the team not only to speed up the run of play but also to “be braver and trust their instinct.” Both of those things, he said, happened in the second half. And the flexibility of the forward group played a big part.

“I would say the majority of our forwards are very flexible in terms of the position that they’re playing,” he said. “They can play multiple positions and they can do that with success. We saw that Trinity went in as a 9 and then found a little more success wider. So they switched. (Sophia Smith) started as a 7. Then the goal that was scored, she was the 11, and then finished the game as a 9.

“It just makes us a little more unpredictable and because of how they play, they play a lot by instinct as well. They understand the game and use their instinct to find themselves in the game. They have the freedom to roam from one to another position to implement or impose themselves to the game.”

Just Women’s Sports is keeping tabs on all of the NWSL players who are competing at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Of the 23-member USWNT squad, 22 players compete domestically in the NWSL (all save Lindsey Horan).

As of July 9, 2023, 57 current NWSL players — representing 15 nations — are slated to compete at the World Cup.

NWSL players competing at the World Cup were released from their teams on June 26. The NWSL doesn’t take a break for the World Cup, but teams will have a lighter workload during the tournament, with no games scheduled from July 10-20 and from Aug. 7-17. The World Cup window will also feature more Challenge Cup games in order to have less of an impact on the regular season NWSL standings.

See below for a team-by-team NWSL breakdown. Please note that list only includes players who are currently on NWSL rosters.

Angel City FC

  • Jun Endo (Japan)
  • Julie Ertz (USWNT)
  • Alyssa Thompson (USWNT)
  • Ali Riley (New Zealand)
  • Note: Amandine Henry was initially expected to compete for France, but she is missing the World Cup due to injury

Chicago Red Stars

  • Alyssa Naeher (USWNT)
  • Cheyna Matthews (Jamaica)

Houston Dash 

  • Michelle Alozie (Nigeria)
  • Sophie Schmidt (Canada)
  • Nichelle Prince (Canada)
  • Allysha Chapman (Canada)
  • Havana Solaun (Jamaica)

Kansas City Current

  • Debinha (Brazil)
  • Note: Desiree Scott was on Canada’s provisional roster, but wasn’t selected to the final World Cup team due to injury

NJ/NY Gotham FC 

  • Sinead Farrelly (Ireland)
  • Ifeoma Onumonu (Nigeria)
  • Kelley O’Hara (USWNT)
  • Lynn Williams (USWNT)
  • Kristie Mewis (USWNT)
  • Bruninha (Brazil)

North Carolina Courage

  • Denise O’Sullivan (Ireland)
  • Casey Murphy (USWNT)
  • Emily Fox (USWNT)
  • Kerolin (Brazil)
  • Mille Gejl (Denmark)
  • Rikki Madsen (Denmark)

OL Reign 

  • Quinn (Canada)
  • Jordyn Huitema (Canada)
  • Sofia Huerta (USWNT)
  • Alana Cook (USWNT)
  • Emily Sonnett (USWNT)
  • Megan Rapinoe (USWNT)
  • Rose Lavelle (USWNT)

Orlando Pride

  • Marta (Brazil)
  • Adriana (Brazil)

Portland Thorns FC 

  • Adriana Leon (Canada)
  • Christine Sinclair (Canada)
  • Hina Sugita (Japan)
  • Raquel Rodriquez (Costa Rica)
  • Sophia Smith (USWNT)
  • Crystal Dunn (USWNT)

Racing Louisville FC 

  • Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa)
  • Uchenna Kanu (Nigeria)
  • Alex Chidiac (Australia)
  • Savannah DeMelo (USWNT)
  • Ary (Brazil)
  • Wang Shuang (China)

San Diego Wave FC 

  • Kailen Sheridan (Canada)
  • Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden)
  • Naomi Girma (USWNT)
  • Alex Morgan (USWNT)
  • Emily van Egmond (Australia)

Washington Spirit FC 

  • Marissa Sheva (Ireland)
  • Ashley Sanchez (USWNT)
  • Andi Sullivan (USWNT)
  • Trinity Rodman (USWNT)
  • Aubrey Kingsbury (USWNT)
  • Riley Tanner (Panama)
  • Gabrielle Carle (Canada)