Women's World Cup 2023: Meet the young players hoping to star
- Published
Every footballer dreams of playing at the highest possible level and the stage doesn't get much bigger than the World Cup.
And while legendary players such as Megan Rapinoe and Marta have announced this tournament will be their last, there are many exciting youngsters coming through the ranks.
Plenty of talented players from around the world will be wanting to make their mark at this summer's tournament.
Here's Newsround's list of some of those young stars to look out for in Australia and New Zealand.
Sophia Smith - USA
Age: 22
Position: Forward
Club: Portland Thorns
USA are the current World Cup holders, and one of the players tipped to play a key role in the team this summer is Sophia Smith.
Last year, Sophia was voted the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year AND picked up the American women's football league's most valuable player (MVP) award.
It turns out Sophia isn't just a talented footballer, she actually started out as a promising teenage basketball player before deciding to switch sports.
Melchie Dumonay - Haiti
Age: 19
Position: Midfielder
Club: Olympique Lyonnais
England face Haiti in their opening match in Group D in Brisbane on 22 July, and one of the players the Lionesses will have to keep a close eye on is Melchie Dumonay.
Haiti are appearing in their first Women's World Cup this summer thanks to a 2-1 play-off victory over Chile - where Melchie scored both of Haiti's goals.
She's one of the brightest teenage talents and recently signed a three-year contract with Olympique Lyonnais - the most successful club in France's top women's division.
Lena Oberdorf - Germany
Age: 21
Position: Midfielder
Club: VfL Wolfsburg
Those of you who watched the Euro 2022 final between England and Germany last summer might recognise the name or face of Lena Oberdorf.
The midfielder had a fantastic Championship and was named Uefa Women's Euro 2022 Young Player of the Tournament for her performance.
Lena is a versatile player, able to play across the midfield and in defence, and despite only being 21 years old - has already won 38 senior caps for her country.
Linda Caicedo - Columbia
Age: 18
Position: Forward
Club: Real Madrid
Teenager Linda Caicedo is widely seen as one of the most promising young talents in world football.
She made her professional debut at the age of 14 and signed for Real Madrid earlier this year.
She was also voted player of the tournament at the 2022 Copa America - the main football tournament contested among national teams from South America.
Julia Grosso - Canada
Age: 22
Position: Midfielder
Club: Juventus
Canada won their first Olympic gold in women's football in Tokyo after beating Sweden in a penalty shootout, and it was Julia Grosso who scored the winning penalty.
The midfielder plays for Italian side Juventus, and in her first season at the club completed a domestic treble with the team.
Julia has already won 50 caps for Canada, and WSL side Manchester City have reportedly been interested in signing the player.
Salma Paralluelo - Spain
Age: 19
Position: Forward
Club: Barcelona
Salma Paralluelo only joined Spanish giants Barcelona last year, but she's already been making a big impression on the team which finished up as league champions in her first season at the club.
Growing up she was a talented track and field athlete, and she's managed to convert those skills into becoming a versatile striker, known for making great runs down the wing for club and country.
Salma has already enjoyed World Cup success with Spain - she was part of the side that won the 2018 Fifa U17 Women's World Cup AND last year's Fifa U20 Women's World Cup.