The United States Women’s National Team has unveiled its roster for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which is set to kick off next month. Three players from Gotham FC, Lynn Williams, Kristie Mewis, and Kelley O’Hara, will be representing the United States at the upcoming competition. This will be O’Hara’s fourth World Cup appearance, making her one of the most experienced players on the team. For Mewis and Williams, this will be their first World Cup.
The full team roster of 23 players was unveiled on June 21 and includes nine players who were part of the U.S. team that won the World Cup in 2019. Two of the biggest names in women’s soccer, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, each return for their fourth World Cup. Rapinoe earned Golden Ball honors as the tournament’s top player in the 2019 World Cup.
The USWNT has been hit by injuries that have robbed them of some of their top players, including defender Becky Sauerbrunn. The heartbroken captain announced last week that she would miss the tournament due to a foot injury. Despite the injuries, the US team is still a formidable force and remains the top-ranked team in the world under head coach Vlatko Andonovski.
The 32-team Women’s World Cup will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand and will begin on July 20. The United States enters as the defending champion and has won four Women’s World Cups overall. The first game for Team USA will be against Vietnam on July 22 in New Zealand.
Sports analyst Julie Foudy recently interviewed two-time World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe and asked her about potentially winning a third time in a row. Rapinoe responded that a three-peat is, like, iconic and winning one or two World Cups is already a difficult feat. Winning three in a row would be an unprecedented and historic accomplishment.
As the world counts down to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, fans across the globe are eagerly anticipating the competition and the chance to see some of the world’s most talented athletes compete for the coveted championship title.
