Women's World Cup 2023: Players, coaches and BBC pundits predict winners

1 year ago 21

United States' midfielder Lindsey Horan and England midfielder Georgia Stanway

The Women's World Cup kicks disconnected connected 20 July, but who volition beryllium lifting the trophy astatine the extremity of it?

The United States are looking to support their back-to-back titles, portion European champions England are chasing a archetypal World Cup crown.

The Republic of Ireland are competing successful their archetypal World Cup and joint-hosts Australia and New Zealand anticipation to marque it a memorable one.

BBC Sport spoke to pundits, ex-players and managers to get their predictions.

Women's World Cup titles

Kristine Lilly (Ex-USA guardant & grounds World Cup quality holder)

Winners: USA

"I person to backmost my USA squad to win. You look astatine the powerhouses that are ever successful the premix similar Germany, England, France and Sweden [as threats]. If they person the mentality it could beryllium interesting.

"Then you person teams similar Brazil, who Pia Sundhage is coaching, and I'm anxious to spot however they play. I ever judge if they got much grooming and coaching down them, they would beryllium immoderate squad to truly fear.

"I don't cognize what's going connected with Spain arsenic they had immoderate issues, but they were large astatine the past World Cup. And the big countries person the location advantage."

England prediction: Final

"England has a accidental to triumph arsenic well. I'm a immense Sarina Wiegman instrumentality - I played with her successful assemblage for a twelvemonth - and conscionable what she's done with the Netherlands and with England.

"I'm truly anxious to spot however she'll bash and the England team. I cognize there's been immoderate injuries but this is their clip to shine. The mentality successful the state and the enactment the women consciousness present I deliberation is incredible."

Player to watch: Sophia Smith (USA)

"If Smith scores goals similar she has done successful the NWSL past she is simply a subordinate to person a signifier for. I'm besides anxious to spot however [Spain's] Alexia Putellas does if she is afloat fit."

USA's Sophia Smith volition beryllium competing astatine her archetypal World Cup

Kelly Smith (Former England striker)

Winners: Germany

"I would never, ever constitute disconnected the USA due to the fact that of their intelligence spot and their quality to execute erstwhile it matters. They person had a fewer hic-ups successful presumption of results precocious and they possibly don't person the aforesaid large names successful the squad, but you can't constitute them off.

"Germany are imaginable winners if you look astatine their performances successful the Euros. They were unlucky not to triumph it. It's the USA and Germany who basal retired for me.

"France are a squad I deliberation tin bash thing peculiar but they ever look to fto maine down. They person specified a talented squad but person been tourney flops. They person a caller manager present truthful you ne'er know.

"Can Australia bash what England did connected location soil? Sam Kerr has had a fantastic season."

England prediction: Quarter-finals

"I deliberation Germany volition bushed England successful the quarter-finals. I interest for England with the injuries they person had, losing a large chunk of acquisition and quality. It's a young squad present with constricted World Cup experience.

"Germany cognize what it takes to get to a last and they person spot successful extent truthful it could beryllium a crippled excessively acold for England. The heartache that Germany sustained successful that Euro 2022 last volition springiness them other grit to bushed England and get immoderate revenge.

"Alexandra Popp has bags of acquisition so, if she tin enactment fit, she's a limb for Germany."

Player to watch: Sophia Smith (USA)

"If the USA are to get to the last and triumph it I deliberation Smith needs to person the tourney of her life. I'm besides looking guardant to watching England's Lauren James, but she mightiness not beryllium starting each game."

Willie Kirk (Leicester City manager)

Winners: Germany

"It was the astir competitory Euros there's ever been past summertime and the World Cup volition beryllium the same. I deliberation fractional a twelve teams could triumph it. But Germany person spot successful extent with a bully equilibrium of younker and experience."

England prediction: Semi-finals

"Reaching the semi-finals would beryllium fantastic for England if it's the expected route. It's a truly beardown Australia squad truthful that's a hard imaginable past 16 gully for England. Australia oregon Germany [in the quarter-finals] could sound England out."

Player to watch: Lena Oberdorf (Germany)

"Oberdorf continues to get amended and amended and volition amended again connected her Euro 2022 performances."

Carly Telford (former England goalkeeper)

Winners: England oregon the USA

England prediction: Final

"England person got immoderate of the champion players successful the satellite and we're European champions, but going to a World Cup is truthful different. The travel, the opposition, being distant from friends and household - it's antithetic to a location Euros wherever determination is truthful overmuch we tin control.

"We person mislaid cardinal players too, though that tin galvanise a squad. We inactive person immoderate fantastic players, the champion manager successful the satellite and the champion goalkeeper successful the satellite currently. When you enactment those things unneurotic there's nary crushed wherefore we can't spell and triumph the tournament. I spot a radical of winners."

Republic of Ireland prediction: Last 16

"The Republic of Ireland person a precise hard radical but erstwhile you're underdogs and caller to a tournament, the chains are off. Their backmost 5 and goalkeeper is precise strong, but my interest is I don't spot them scoring galore goals.

"They are bully astatine set-pieces though - they person gangly women, are truly assertive and person immoderate truly bully crossers. I deliberation their crippled program volition beryllium to bushed the weaker squad successful the radical and past clasp retired arsenic agelong arsenic they tin against the stronger opponents and nick a extremity connected a set-piece. They are the astonishment team."

Players to watch: Sophia Smith (USA) and Naomi Girma (USA)

"I played with Girma past twelvemonth and she is 1 of the astir people talented centre-halves you volition see. It is her archetypal tourney truthful whether she volition get tested oregon not, we volition see.

"Smith is flying successful the league with her spark, speed, assurance and unpredictability. These kids person nary fear."

Carla Ward (Aston Villa manager)

Winners: France

"France person had bully tournaments earlier but haven't had the other edge. I deliberation the caller manager [Herve Renard] coming successful volition springiness them that edge. They person the prime to triumph a tourney and their squad connected insubstantial is unbelievable. It feels similar it could beryllium their time. The manager seems wide and organised, which volition massively assistance them."

England prediction: Semi-finals

"England inactive person a bully accidental but the unit aft the Euros is people determination and they are missing immoderate large players. If cardinal players perform, they person a chance.

"Our striker [Aston Villa's] Rachel Daly is 1 of the champion goalscoring forwards. We cognize we volition get goals truthful we person each chance. I don't deliberation we tin underestimate Australia connected location ungraded arsenic a imaginable past 16 crippled and if they flooded them, we each cognize Germany are tough.

"If England were to conscionable Germany and bushed them, I would fancy america to spell each the way."

Republic of Ireland prediction: Last 16

"The Republic of Ireland deterioration their bosom connected their sleeves and I deliberation they tin get retired of their radical and astonishment people. You look astatine players similar McCabe, Quinn and [Villa's] Ruesha Littlejohn. They are experienced leaders."

Player to watch: Lena Oberdorf (Germany)

"Oberdorf came live during the Euros. The mode she dictates the mediate of the transportation volition beryllium massive."

Simone Magill (Northern Ireland striker)

Winners: USA

"It's hard to look past the USA. They person specified a beardown past connected the satellite signifier and their grounds speaks for itself. They could beryllium pushed close, but if they get to the last they volition cognize however to get the occupation done.

"Their mentality makes a immense quality and they are a winning machine. It's hard to spot that changing this summertime arsenic that gives them specified an edge."

England prediction: Semi-finals

"England are successful a comic presumption heading into the World Cup. They volition decidedly get retired of the group, but with truthful galore cardinal players missing it is hard to gauge however acold they volition spell beyond that. They person large extent but Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead are top, apical players.

"Goals person been a occupation of late, but I volition ever backmost my Aston Villa team-mate Daly to find the net. Now Alessia Russo's declaration with Arsenal is sorted I expect her to beryllium connected apical signifier too."

Republic of Ireland prediction: Group stages

"I cognize precisely however the Republic of Ireland players volition consciousness arsenic they caput into their archetypal large tournament. At Euro 2022 past twelvemonth with Northern Ireland, we truly wanted to spell retired and afloat clasp the experience. They person been drawn successful an highly hard group, but determination is nary anticipation to spell and get results.

"They volition person tendency to vie and portion I deliberation progression is simply a large ask, getting a triumph would beryllium a occurrence for them. You ne'er cognize erstwhile this accidental could travel up again truthful they request to instrumentality it each in."

Player to watch: Sophia Smith (USA)

"Smith has been successful unbelievable signifier for the Portland Thorns successful the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League), truthful if she carries that into the World Cup she could airy up the tournament."

Simone Magill playing for Northern Ireland

Karen Bardsley (Ex-England goalkeeper)

Winners: USA

"The manager doesn't cognize his champion XI but the USA's mentality and their acquisition mightiness springiness them the limb up they need."

England prediction: Final

"Despite caller performances suggesting England haven't recovered however to champion utilise their squad, the Lionesses are inactive creating loads of chances and are unsafe successful beforehand of goal.

"Albeit a perchance pugnacious route, I consciousness assured the Lionesses could dispatch Canada successful the past 16, conscionable squeak past Germany successful the quarter-finals, and past upset the Aussies successful the semi final."

Republic of Ireland prediction: Group stages

"Ireland person qualified for their archetypal large tourney and I'm definite they volition enactment up a large fight. But successful a radical of physically and technically robust teams I deliberation they volition miss retired connected the knockout rounds."

Player to watch: Aitana Bonmati (Spain)

"My archetypal thought was Sam Kerr. She is simply a large infinitesimal subordinate and arsenic Australia's captain, it's her clip to shine. However, I deliberation Bonmati brings a magnificent operation of creativity and extremity scoring and volition standout if Spain are to fulfil their potential."

Ellen White (former England striker and Lionesses' grounds goalscorer)

Winners: England

"I americium backing England to spell each the way. The squad looks a small spot antithetic from the Euros triumph but they inactive person that acquisition - they cognize what winning takes and what it looks like.

"The USA are inactive up determination but they person got 14 caller players wherever this is their archetypal tournament, which I deliberation is unheard of for them, truthful seeing however that works volition beryllium an absorbing dynamic.

"There are different contenders - Australia could spell far, and it is the aforesaid with Germany and Sweden excessively - I americium hoping for a fewer shocks but it feels similar it is ever the European teams who predominate the last stages. In 2019, it was 7 European teams and the USA successful the quarter-finals."

Republic of Ireland prediction: Group stages

"I americium excited to spot the Republic of Ireland and their fans astatine the World Cup and for them to beryllium playing the co-hosts, Australia, successful their archetypal crippled is going to beryllium amazing, but they are successful specified a pugnacious group.

"I deliberation they volition bash themselves arrogant successful presumption of their performances, but picking up points is going to beryllium hard for them.

Player to watch: Barbra Banda (Zambia)

"Banda was conscionable ridiculously bully astatine the Tokyo Olympics and scored a phenomenal magnitude of goals. She scored 2 against Germany earlier this period too, truthful I americium precise excited to spot her again connected the satellite stage."

Zambia's main Copper Queen connected her World Cup debut

Across the BBC banner