Women's World Cup: Rita Ora, Al Greenwood & The Hoosiers predict winners
- Published
The United States have won the past two Women's World Cups - who will get their hands on the trophy this time?
The big kick-off is almost here.
The 2023 Women's World Cup starts at 08:00 BST on Thursday when co-hosts New Zealand face Norway in the tournament opener at Eden Park in Auckland.
Thirty-two teams will battle it out over 32 days for the ultimate prize, but who will be crowned champions at Stadium Australia in Sydney on 20 August?
BBC pundits will have their say, but first it's time for some of the music industry's finest to pick out which teams and players will shine.
Rita Ora
Rita Ora's new album, You & I, was released last week. "I want people to get lost in the music, feel safe when they listen to it and a spread a message of inclusion and certainty," she said.
Who will win the World Cup? It's got to be England. Those women are so inspiring and the challenges they have faced to get to where they are today. After winning the European Championship, they are more than capable of going all the way. C'mon girls!
Who will be the star player and\or win the Golden Boot? Every one of those women deserve the Golden Boot. The journey to get to where they are today is nothing short of exceptional and I'll be cheering them all along every step of the way.
What's your favourite Women's World Cup moment? Kelly Smith kissing her boot after scoring back-to-back goals against Japan [in 2007] has got to be a standout moment. What a legend - so proud of her and everything she has gone on to do for women's football.
Al Greenwood of Sports Team
"Sports Team are gearing up for some shows in the United States at the end of the summer," Greenwood said. "On top of that, I've had the pleasure of drumming on a very exciting track to celebrate the Lionesses this summer."
Who will win the World Cup? I'm backing England to go all the way. Yes, there's been injuries and, yes, we're missing some key characters in the dressing room, but the cult of Sarina [Wiegman] lives on.
We've had a slightly shaky warm up, but I'm confident that once the tournament gets under way we'll see some new stars emerge rapidly - the likes of Lotte Wubben-Moy, Lauren James, and Katie Robinson. With many of the old guard missing, it's an opportunity for new heroes to take centre stage.
Our route through our group looks relatively clear, but the potential challenge of Canada in the last 16 would be a real test. Still, with the strength of our midfield, I see us cruising on to probably face France in the quarters Germany in the semis and USA in the final. That's how I've mapped it out for us anyhow!
Who will be the star player and\or win the Golden Boot? Given the probability of the US getting to the final stages, I'm backing one of their players to win the Golden Boot. Sophia Smith has had an incredible season for Portland Thorns in the NWSL and combines pace with clinical finishing. She has what it takes to make a big impact in her first World Cup.
Any surprises? Perhaps not a massive surprise but I'm expecting Australia to deliver in a big way. A team built around Sam Kerr in their home tournament, and a generation of players coming into their prime - it's a fairytale waiting to unfold.
Favourite Women's World Cup moment? It has to be during the 2019 World Cup. I was with my band about to play our first Glastonbury. That festival is a place I've always held as a touchstone for national culture, and so to watch the Lionesses take on Norway in the quarter-finals alongside thousands of fans in the early summer sun, felt like an indicator of the future of the women's game. The fact we won 3-0 was the icing on the cake.
DJ Tony Perry
He's played DJ sets at the 2022 men's World Cup final, Euro 2020 and is the resident Wembley DJ - now Tony Perry has teamed up with Jude & Frank and Cumbiafrica to create a new football anthem, Allez Allez, for the summer of 2023
Who will win the World Cup? We can't pretend that the United States won't figure, and they will be the team to beat... but I've got to go with the Lionesses and back our girls! I'd be in trouble if I didn't say that - but I believe it as well.
Even with the injuries we've got, there's that belief from what we did at the Euros - we've got a manager who knows what she's doing and a team that has won something already. You can see the mental strength we've got now, which really makes a difference.
Who will be the star player and\or win the Golden Boot? Australia are going to do something special as well. We know how important home advantage is, and how that can build as you get deeper into the tournament - plus their fans are some of the best in the world, whatever the sport.
'A pasta sandwich?!' - Sam Kerr's secret to success
And I can see Sam Kerr just doing something spectacular, like she always does. We are lucky that in England we have such a strong league now, so she is going to know a lot of her opponents very well. Beating England in April to end our long unbeaten run will have given Australia a lot of confidence too.
But there is always a player who emerges to make a name for themselves at a major tournament and for me everything is pointing towards England's Alessia Russo. She's already made a big move to Arsenal this summer and it is going to be amazing to see what she can do on the biggest stage of all.
Surprise packages? I'm looking forward to seeing some of the African teams. I was in Qatar for the men's World Cup and saw what Morocco did with the energy of their fans behind them. It would be amazing to see something like that, to kind of spread the spotlight more about the women's game.
Karen Harding
Karen's latest single, Show You, with TS7 is out now
Who will win the World Cup? I'm always optimistic when it comes to England so it has to be the Lionesses! The Euros proved how strong we are and I think the team confidence will be unmatched.
Who will be the star player and\or win the Golden Boot? It's going to be a real battle for the Golden Boot and it's a shame Beth Mead won't be involved, but I'm liking the style of Spain's Alexia Putellas. She was ruled out of the Euros, and I know she's not a striker but I think she will be coming to the World Cup with something to prove.
Any surprises? Japan. Jun Endo is looking in good form and they always seem to do quite well each year they have taken part.
Romy
Romy's solo album, Mid Air, is out in September
Who will win the World Cup? England! Hopefully!
Who will be the star player and\or win the Golden Boot? Alessia Russo.
Favourite Women's World Cup moment? At the last World Cup in 2019 I'd recently joined a five-a-side team called Whippets FC in London, and we would all meet up and watch the matches at the pub. It felt so exciting and like women's football was really growing. It's grown so much more since then, which makes me so happy.
Any surprises? Zambia beat Germany in a pre-tournament friendly which was really exciting, I'll definitely be watching their games.
The Hoosiers
The Hoosiers are singer Irwin Sparkes (right) and drummer Al Sharland. Their new single, Hello Sunshine, is out now and their new album, Confidence, will be released in September before they start a UK tour later the same month
Who will win the World Cup?
Irwin: The United States are still the team to beat. Al and I met when we were on football scholarships at Indiana University in 2001 and, the first time we trained, we got an insight into how big the women's game was in the US.
There were so many players from the women's team playing with us, which for starters was something I'd never seen growing up on the mean streets of Reading, and they were unbelievably good too. I remember running in for a long ball with one of them and being taken out so badly that I couldn't play for a week. It was a rude awakening that women's football had well and truly arrived, and you underestimate them at your peril.
It made me think 'wow, this is the real thing'. They were a million miles ahead of us in England then, but we have been catching up. Having this World Cup the year after we won the Euros is the perfect storm for more success on the pitch, and raising the profile of the game even more off it. I am absolutely going for England to win.
Al: Same here. England have changed a few things, got a few new players but still got a great manager. I can see us going all the way.
Who will be the star player and\or win the Golden Boot?
Al: It's made for it to be Sam Kerr's tournament. She's a player I hear a lot about, so I'm going to back her at her home tournament.
Irwin: I'm hoping for a big tournament from England's Lucy Bronze, because stopping goals rather than scoring them is what I am all about. But I am going for one of the US players, Alex Morgan or Megan Rapinoe, to shine.
Monki
Monki's latest single, Feels Darker (Feet It) ft Lau:ra, is out now
Who will win the World Cup? My heart says England but my head says the United States.
I hope I get proven wrong but with key players missing I'm slightly sceptical of us going all the way. The US have currently got a perfect mix of veterans and young players; they have a wealth of experience in this tournament and while we thought they were in a transition period, it looks like they've used the last four years perfectly.
Who will be the star player and\or win the Golden Boot? If I'm going with the US, then I'm going to say Alex Morgan. She just missed out on the Golden Boot at the last World Cup. Sophia Smith will be up there as well, I imagine.
How will England do? I think we'll win our group and make it to the semis.
Any surprises? I'm not sure there will be, but I'll also be rooting for the Philippines. One side of my family is Filipino and this is the first time the country have qualified for a World Cup. They have a tough group and I'm sure New Zealand and Norway will be making it out of there, but I'll be hoping for an upset!
Guide to Group A - New Zealand, Norway, Philippines and Switzerland
Favourite Women's World Cup moment? I think Marta's passionate speech after Brazil lost to France in 2019 stood out for me. That was the first WWC I attended. And it felt like her words epitomised the moment the sport felt like it was having.
Art School Girlfriend
Art School Girlfriend's new album, Soft Landing, is out on 4 August and she begins a UK tour in November
Who will win the World Cup? England, of course.
If the women's game in general hadn't been suffering with an insane amount of injuries since the Euros, I'd say we were in for a clear shot. It's a real shame that the likes of Leah Williamson and Mead aren't able to play; they were at their prime just when the women's game was finally getting the attention it deserved.
However, it just goes to show the quality of talent coming up at the moment, as we still have some amazing players, and most importantly Wiegman has instilled self-belief in the whole team.
Who will be the star player and\or win the Golden Boot? Russo has just joined Arsenal, which I'm very excited about, so hoping she'll get the Golden Boot this year.
What is your favourite Women's World Cup moment? The incredible goal Lucy Bronze scored against Norway in 2015.