What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
Country: South Africa
Position: Defender
Highlights: She's the most capped South African soccer player of either gender. She also has the most international caps for an African woman.
Country: England
Position: Forward
Highlights: Named the best player in English women's football for the 2017-18 season, she also played a vital role in helping England qualify for the World Cup.
Country: Canada
Position: Defender
Highlights: She won bronze with Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics, as well as two UEFA Women's Champions League titles with Olympique Lyon.
Country: Thailand
Position: Midfielder
Highlights: She won the AFF Women's Championship with Thailand in 2011, 2015, 2016, and 2018.
Country: Japan
Position: Forward
Highlights: With Japan, she's won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011, silver at the Summer Olympics in 2012, and the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2018 (this last one for which she was named MVP).
Country: Chile
Position: Goalkeeper
Highlights: She was named Chilean Female Player of the Year in 2008, 2009, and 2010. She also won the Copa Libertadores Femenina in 2012.
Country: Korea Republic
Position: Forward
Highlights: Her honors include being named Asian Women's Footballer of the Year in 2013, and the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year for the 2014-15 season.
Country: Argentina
Position: Midfielder
Highlights: She won the Copa Libertadores Femenina in 2012 with Chilean side Colo-Colo.
Country: China PR
Position: Forward
Highlights: She scored seven goals in just five appearances at the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup.
Country: Jamaica
Position: Forward
Highlights: She's a teenage superstar, having been named the best young player at the CONCACAF Women's Championship in 2018.
Country: England
Position: Defender
Highlights: With a domestic playing career split between England and the United States, internationally she won the SheBelieves Cup with England in 2019.
See also: The 100 most valuable soccer players of 2019.
Country: New Zealand
Position: Defender
Highlights: She was named to the First XI All Star Selection of the Damallsvenskan (Swedish League) every year from 2013 to 2017.
Country: Scotland
Position: Midfielder
Highlights: Her honors include being FA Women's Player of the Year in 2010, the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year in 2013, and the NWSL Most Valuable Player in 2014.
Country: USA
Position: Forward
Highlights: She was CONCACAF's Female Player of the Year three years running in 2016, 2017, and 2018, having previously held the honor in 2013.
Country: USA
Position: Forward
Highlights: With her national team, she won the World Cup in 2015 and gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Country: Netherlands
Position: Forward
Highlights: She was named The Best FIFA Women's Player and won the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award, both in 2017.
Country: Australia
Position: Forward
Highlights: This record-setter has the most goals in a match, season, and all around in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), as well as the most goals ever and in a single season of the W-League.
Country: Australia
Position: Defender
Highlights: With Australia, she won the Tournament of Nations in 2017 and the Cup of Nations in 2019.
Country: France
Position: Midfielder
Highlights: She's won the UEFA Women's Champions League five times with Olympique Lyon.
Country: Spain
Position: Defender
Highlights: She was named the best player at the Algarve Cup, which Spain won, in 2017.
Country: Brazil
Position: Forward
Highlights: She's the current all-time female top scorer at the Summer Olympics, and just became the oldest player to score a hat trick at the Women's World Cup.
Country: Italy
Position: Midfielder
Highlights: She was named AIC Serie A Female Footballer of the Year in 2016, and has won the Serie A and Coppa Italia with Brescia and Juventus.
Country: Norway
Position: Defender
Highlights: Having defended Norway's colors for over a decade, she goes into this World Cup as the team's trusted captain.
Country: Nigeria
Position: Forward
Highlights: She was named African Women's Footballer of the Year in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Country: Brazil
Position: Forward
Highlights: She's been crowned the world's top female soccer player a record six times.
Country: Germany
Position: Midfielder
Highlights: She won the gold medal with Germany at the 2016 Summer Olympics, as well as the UEFA Women's Euro in 2013.
Country: Canada
Position: Forward
Highlights: She headed into this World Cup looking to break the all-time goalscoring record in men's and women's international soccer.
Country: Cameroon
Position: Forward
Highlights: She was named best player at the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations.
Country: Sweden
Position: Forward
Highlights: She was part of the Swedish team that won silver at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, played in France, is now in full swing, with some predictable, and lesser known, names emerging. Are you hooked yet?
Marta is still Brazil’s top dog, yet it was Cristiane who recently scored all three of Brazil’s goals against Jamaica, at the same time becoming the oldest player to score a hat trick at the Women’s World Cup.
In another game, it was defender Kadeisha Buchanan who secured Canada’s win against Cameroon, and not superstar striker Christine Sinclair, who is pursuing the all-time goalscoring record in men's and women's international soccer (currently standing at 184 goals and held by retired American international Abby Wambach).
It’s a stacked tournament, to be sure. The United States are the defending champions, but Germany won gold at the last Summer Olympics in 2016, and then there’s the most recent UEFA Women's Euro champions, the Netherlands, who lifted that trophy in 2017. It’s also worth mentioning that Brazil won the 2018 Copa América Femenina, and that Sweden and Canada have done really well for themselves internationally in the past decade.
Of course, there are a whole host of other international tournament winners, all vying for that top spot. In all, 24 counties are represented at this year’s Women’s World Cup (three from Africa, five from Asia, one from Oceania, three from South America, nine from Europe, and three from the North, Central America, and Caribbean group). They are divided into six groups of four teams each.
Having commenced on June 7, the tournament is on through July 7, and it’s already promising a lot of action.
Curious to know the best player on each team, and even just the best players overall at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup? Then click through this gallery to discover their names and considerable accomplishments.
The most amazing players at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
Who will take home the top prize in women's soccer?
LIFESTYLE Sports
The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, played in France, is now in full swing, with some predictable, and lesser known, names emerging. Are you hooked yet?
Marta is still Brazil’s top dog, yet it was Cristiane who recently scored all three of Brazil’s goals against Jamaica, at the same time becoming the oldest player to score a hat trick at the Women’s World Cup.
In another game, it was defender Kadeisha Buchanan who secured Canada’s win against Cameroon, and not superstar striker Christine Sinclair, who is pursuing the all-time goalscoring record in men's and women's international soccer (currently standing at 184 goals and held by retired American international Abby Wambach).
It’s a stacked tournament, to be sure. The United States are the defending champions, but Germany won gold at the last Summer Olympics in 2016, and then there’s the most recent UEFA Women's Euro champions, the Netherlands, who lifted that trophy in 2017. It’s also worth mentioning that Brazil won the 2018 Copa América Femenina, and that Sweden and Canada have done really well for themselves internationally in the past decade.
Of course, there are a whole host of other international tournament winners, all vying for that top spot. In all, 24 counties are represented at this year’s Women’s World Cup (three from Africa, five from Asia, one from Oceania, three from South America, nine from Europe, and three from the North, Central America, and Caribbean group). They are divided into six groups of four teams each.
Having commenced on June 7, the tournament is on through July 7, and it’s already promising a lot of action.
Curious to know the best player on each team, and even just the best players overall at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup? Then click through this gallery to discover their names and considerable accomplishments.