#Title

The World Cup that keeps on giving
Defending World Cup Champions, the US, are out. Olympic champions, Canada: gone. South American champions, Brazil: crashed out. Germany: dumped in the group stages. Spain was goal-shy and shocked. European champions, England, struggled against Haiti. The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has undoubtedly been the most open one ever.
Kicking off just a fortnight ago, the tournament has kept up with the theme of the 2022 men’s World Cup – there have been goals, epic celebrations, shocks of grand proportions, and the unexpected rise of underdogs. This World Cup has been the gift that keeps giving.
The very first night, an inspired New Zealand (co-hosts with Australia) shocked the tournament’s dark horse, Norway, and won their first World Cup match. When the final whistle blew, Eden Park stadium broke into euphoria. Captain Ali Riley’s passionate and heartfelt post-match interview made headlines. “The energy helped us get through it. This morning, something really tragic happened,” said Riley, referring to the shooting incident that had taken place just hours before kick-off, causing numerous fatalities, in downtown Auckland. “We wanted to bring something positive tonight. And we thought of the victims and the first responders, and they made us so proud. And we wanted to just help bring something amazing today.”
The now-eliminated most successful women’s national team, the US, kicked off its campaign against debutants Vietnam. On paper and logically, this was the most uneven matchup. And while a three-nil scoreline does not flatter Vietnam, it does reflect the brilliance of Vietnamese keeper, Tran Thi Kim Thanh, who made several important saves to keep the scoreline down. When England took on Haiti, they were made to work extremely hard for the three points. Haiti’s 19-year-old Melchie Dumornay mesmerised the crowd with her speed, tactics, and physicality which seemed way beyond her age and maturity.
Colombia put on a show that deserves its laurels. Beating South Korea and then serving one of the shocks of the tournament by beating Germany, Linda Caicedo let herself become known on the biggest stage in women’s football. Just 18 years old, Caicedo has played three World Cups this year: U18, U20, and now the Women’s World Cup. If that was not inspiring enough, Caicedo’s story is even more profound beyond football. Hers is a story of resilience, perseverance, and self-belief, which helped the youngster recover from cancer at the age of 15. There is a reason why her first coach said, “Caicedo is one of those people who was touched by God, who was born for this.”
Katie McCabe of Ireland is a natural-born leader. Helping her country qualify for its first World Cup, her brilliance and leadership gave Ireland a faint hope of winning its first ever World Cup match. Scoring directly from the corner, an “Olimpico,” in the first six minutes, McCabe set the entire stadium ablaze in jubilation. Nigeria, on the other hand, one of many teams that have fought tooth and nail against their Federation for support and finance, silenced the co-host Australia with a win that will live long in African football folklore. Nouhaila Benzina of Morocco made history as the first player to wear a hijab while competing at a senior-level global tournament. She stood firm against the tirade of South Korean attacks and inspired her country to its first ever World Cup victory. A few days later, the Morocco team’s resilience helped them secure a spot in the last sixteen, at the expense of Germany. Germany, which has never lost before the Quarters, was tripped by Morocco – a team that has never even been at the World Cup before.
When Japan took on Spain, some expected the game to end the way it did. Spain’s most talented generation of midfielders, including two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas and this year’s frontrunner Aitana Bonmati, struggled to break through Japan’s defensive structure. Japan had four shots on target, and all four ended up in the back of the net. Portugal, another debuting team, played inspiring football and came agonisingly close to winning and knocking the US out in the final group match. The US’ saviour in that game was the goalpost that prevented a Portuguese shot from going in, just five minutes before full time. South Africa, a team that has often been subjected to lopsided scorelines against itself, broke through new boundaries. They beat Italy to secure a place in the round of 16 for the first time in their history.
Panama, which took on France in the last game of the group stages, began the game with a stunning free kick goal from Marta Cox, who curled into the top corner just 65 seconds after kick-off. Cox’s emotions flowed across the field and her entire team ran to her. Scenes that are usually reserved for when one wins a match were displayed despite them already being knocked out of the tournament. At that moment, it did not matter. Some of these players probably never imagined that one day they would be playing on such a big stage. Despite going on to lose 6-3, their determination, and the thrill they exuded while playing, never faded – and the fans loved it. In fact, at one point, even some French supporters wanted the referee to give Panama a goal, just to witness the purity of the happiness it brought to the team’s fans and players.
Often, a World Cup match will leave you feeling divided. Brazil had to win their final group match in order to advance. Before the tournament, the legendary Marta, one of the most decorated players to ever play, announced this would be her last World Cup. After their 2022 Copa America win, many (including myself) believed that this would be their year; that perhaps Marta, too, would have her “Messi moment,” and that her legacy would be complete. Then again, when does football really go the way you want it to? Brazil’s opposition, Jamaica, who had not conceded a single goal in the tournament so far, had its own adversaries to face. Since 2008, the team has been disbanded, defunded, and ignored. In 2014, Bob Marley’s daughter, Cadella Marley, received a flyer from her son’s school coach, asking for donations to help restart the women’s football team. She did everything in her power to help the “Reggae Girls.” And yet, their federation continued failing them, cutting off funding, and making them play against local clubs to save money instead of playing other countries. A few months prior to the tournament, a player’s mother set up a GoFundMe page to help the team finance its journey to Australia. Now, the Jamaica team has made everyone take notice of them as they withstood the torrent of crosses Brazil put into their box. When the final whistle blew, Jamaica’s coach ran around attempting cartwheels like he had promised to if they made it to the knock-out stages. Khadija “Bunny” Shaw fell to the floor and broke into tears as Marta, dejected but somehow still content, walked up to her. For a few long minutes, the two attackers from two different countries, representing two different generations, both of whom had their own battles to fight, embraced each other. It was sportsmanship at its finest, where Shaw gave her condolences and perhaps even thanked Marta for the contribution she made to this beautiful game. After all, who can forget Marta’s inspiring plea in 2019: “Women’s football depends on you to survive.”?
As major shockwaves rumble through the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, each as volcanic as the last, a newfound admiration is engulfing women’s football. The tectonic plates of the sport are shifting, paving the way for a new generation of footballers to spread their wings. As we bid farewell to our Martas, Rapinoes, and Sinclairs, and welcome our Dumornays, Caicedos, and Shaws, it is essential to acknowledge those who came before and fought to elevate this beautiful game to its current heights and beyond. Everyone wanted to be Marta, and now anyone can be, because of Marta.