AUSTRALIA
World Ranking: 10
Head Coach: Tony Gustavsson (SWE)
Star player: Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
Best World Cup performance: Quarter-finals (2007, 2011, 2015)

 

The Matildas have featured at seven FIFA Women's World Cups with a string of quarter-final appearances between 2007 and 2015 as their best progress thus far.

 

But on home soil and with momentum from a string of encouraging results, they are among the favourites with perhaps their most talented squad ever.

Much will depend on the form of Chelsea striker Sam Kerr who is the undoubted face of the tournament, Australia's skipper and leading goal-scorer is one of the superstars of women's football.

Kerr is supported by a host of quality players, including Lyon's Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord of Arsenal and Manchester City duo Mary Fowler and Alanna Kennedy.

Their Swedish coach Tony Gustavsson was appointed in 2020 and took time to settle in. He now faces the biggest test of his career with expectations high for success on home soil.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
World Ranking: 22
Head Coach: Vera Pauw (NED)
Star player: Katie McCabe (Arsenal)
Best World Cup performance: First appearance

Ireland scraped into their first World Cup with a playoff win over arch-rivals Scotland, reversing decades of underperformance.

Former Netherlands manager Vera Pauw has been central to the turnaround, along with captain and Arsenal talisman McCabe.

In the qualifiers they beat Georgia, held Sweden to a draw and moved to a playoff place with narrow wins over Finland and Slovakia.

In the playoff, Amber Barrett's 72nd-minute strike was enough to propel them past Scotland and into a maiden Finals.

Along with the versatile McCabe, Ireland will rely heavily on experienced US-based Denise O'Sullivan and Birmingham City's Louise Quinn, who have more than 100 caps each.

NIGERIA
World Ranking: 40
Head Coach: Randy Waldrum (USA)
Star player: Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)
Best World Cup performance: Quarter-finals (1999)

In Barcelona striker Asisat Oshoala they boast one of the greatest African footballers of all time in the women's game, while inspirational captain Onome Ebi will be playing in an incredible sixth World Cup at age 40.

CANADA
World Ranking: 7
Head Coach: Beverly Priestman (ENG)
Star player: Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns, USA)
Best World Cup performance: Fourth place (2003)

 

They are also missing key forward Janine Beckie, who has a knee injury, which makes 40-year-old skipper Christine Sinclair, the all-time leading scorer in international football, even more pivotal.

Now in her 23rd year on the Canadian team, she is at her sixth World Cup and has made more than 300 appearances for her country.