South Africa is expected to be one of the weakest teams at the World Cup, but they won’t be easy to score on. They have a well-organized defense that’s often difficult for even top opponents to break down, and van Wyk is their organizer. She’s the captain of Bayana Bayana and their most capped player ever, but she’s taken her leadership beyond the pitch as well, founding her own founding her own club with youth and senior teams.

Recent dominant performances at the youth international level have many experts believing Spain is the future of the women’s game, but Torrejon was part of the first generation of players from the country to find international success. She’s one of the oldest players on her squad despite being just 29 years old. She regularly locks down opposing wingers from her right back position, as well as being an excellent crosser and regular threat to head in set pieces.

Shaw is one of two players on this list to have never played a professional match, and she’ll be looking to use the World Cup as a platform to convince the top clubs in the world that she’s worth handing a big contract. At 5’11, Shaw is one of the world’s best aerial threats, but she’s spent most of her career in midfield, so don’t be surprised by her solid touch and passing. She’s a superstar in the making, and Jamaica’s biggest hope for pulling off an upset or two.

Brazil enters this World Cup following a shocking nine-game losing streak. If they finally do find a lineup that gets them back to top form, it’ll be because Andressa Alves is capable of playing anywhere on the field. She’s usually a flashy winger, but she’s a good enough goal scorer to play striker, and a good enough defender that she’s regularly used at fullback.

Mjelde has spent most of her career as a central midfielder, but Norway’s lack of depth in defense has forced a move back to center back. That might mean we don’t get to see the best of Mjelde at this World Cup, but it allows Norway to get its most talented players on the field, and Mjelde will be one of the slickest passing defenders in the tournament.

The one major criticism of Spain in recent years is while they’re elite at passing in midfield, they’re not clinical enough when they get close to goal. Hermoso, the leading scorer in the Spanish Primera, will be counted on to change that. She likes to drift away from the penalty area to find the ball, but her club season and her two-goal performance against the Netherlands at the Algarve Cup give Spanish fans a reason to hope that she’s more willing to play like a classic center forward when needed.

There isn’t a team with more flashy individual players than England, and those players are enabled by Keira Walsh and the job that she does in the center of midfield. Her more ambitious teammates don’t have to worry about turning the ball over, because she’s always in position to slow down opposition counter-attacks. But Walsh will take an opportunity to show off too — she scored a 30-yard goal in the FA Cup final.

France supporters have skipped several heartbeats watching Bouhaddi play in goal over the past decade, but her aggressive plays pay off more often than they backfire. Most fans prefer to have a more risk-averse goalkeeper between the sticks, but if you’re not a fan of Les Bleus, you’ll enjoy watching their goalkeeper sprint away from her box and make clearances near midfield.

Argentina is one of the weakest teams at this World Cup, and was placed into one of its most difficult groups. La Albiceleste’s biggest hope for stealing a point — or, honestly, to just score one goal — is Banini. She’s split time between NWSL and the Spanish Primera over the past couple of seasons, and is the focal point of the Argentina attack as the central attacking midfielder. She has the skill and flair to beat multiple defenders on her own… if her team can get her the ball.

This is Italy’s first World Cup since 1999, and Cernoia is the biggest reason they have a chance to get out of their group. Unlike most teams on their level, which have a couple of stars but struggle to put 11 quality players on the field, Italy is a team with good depth and minimal star power. But Cernoia is a complete central midfielder who can score from free kicks, and she’ll have the most influence on her team’s success or failure.

Minde has spent most of her career scoring goals from the wing at club level, but she has to fill in at left back most of the time for her country. She’s a capable defender, but will be hoping for plenty of opportunities to shine going forward. Minde has struggled to win over her coach at Wolfsburg, but for Norway, she’s consistently a top performer no matter which position she plays.

In 2010, Yokoyama burst onto the world stage with a goal at the Under-17 World Cup. She went on a slalom run through six defenders before scoring, earning a nomination for the FIFA Puskas Award. Since then, she’s developed into Japan’s main striker at the senior level, regularly scoring against top-10 teams in the world. These days, she’s much more likely to score a poacher’s effort or bang one in from distance than she is to attempt to solo dribble through a defense.

Australia’s attacking play style regularly leaves big holes at the back, putting a lot of pressure on their goalkeeper to make saves. Thankfully for them, Williams regularly displays inhuman reactions. She won’t have many clean sheets, but she’s a good bet to make the save of the tournament.

Regularly voted into world XI lists by her peers and media alike, Fischer has been one of the world’s most consistent defenders over the past decade. At 34, she might be a touch past her peak, but she still anchors two of the world’s most consistent defenses, for club and country. Wolfsburg conceded the fewest goals in the Frauen-Bundesliga with her in the back line this season, and Sweden conceded just twice in UEFA qualifying.

Buchanan was a breakout star for Canada at the last World Cup, but she’s still just 23 years old. This season has been a rocky one for Buchanan at Lyon, but she’s still Canada’s best defender, and one of the highest ceiling players in the world. At her best, she stops opposing forwards from ever getting off decent shots. Canada will be hoping she can put a disappointing club campaign behind her and return to top form.

Going into her fifth World Cup as Sweden’s starting goalkeeper, Lindahl is still one of her team’s most important players. Sweden’s pressure-inviting style wouldn’t work if they couldn’t rely on their goalkeeper to make all the right decisions, and Lindahl rarely makes an error. Some of her younger colleagues might make more spectacular saves, but none of them match her consistency.

Erceg is the reigning NWSL defender of the year, but she wasn’t always a lock to play at this World Cup. She retired from international soccer in 2017, citing disagreements with the New Zealand FA, and has been in and out of the team several times since. But Erceg opted to return ahead of World Cup preparations, and she’ll be needed to anchor the Football Ferns’ defense. At 5’10, Erceg is elite in the air, and she doesn’t lack any other essential defending skills.

In an age where forwards are asked to become more complete players and contribute to multiple phases of play, it’s a joy to watch a player who’s all about scoring goals. Li finished as the top scorer of the 2018 Asian Cup, scoring three more goals than everyone else and finding the back of the net in all of China’s games. She scores all types of goals, from edge of the penalty area bangers to back post diving headers.

From her youth career, Nchout stood out as an extremely talented dribbler, with plenty of pace to go along with it, but it’s only recently that she’s developed into a finisher as well. Cameroon will be limited to mostly playing on the counter during this World Cup, but they should be able to find some success on the break through Nchout, who regularly beats defenders one-on-one before breaking into space.

As the more dynamic member of Australia’s midfield pair, van Egmond will be tasked with getting up and down the field, supporting the forward line as much as she supports the defense. The back line behind her has been shaky recently, so she’ll have to be at her best when Australia loses the ball. Expect to see her score, too — she’s one of the world’s best penalty takers.

Any professional team in the world would be thrilled to have Fleming, but she’s opted to stay at UCLA, where she’s working on a materials engineering degree while taking occasional breaks to embarrass amateur footballers. At no point has she ever looked overmatched when she’s thrown into a game against pros, and she’ll be Canada’s primary playmaker. She’s already one of the best creative passers in the world.

At the top of her game, Kirby’s combination of athleticism, work rate, creativity, and finishing skill made her one of the best forwards in the world. She’s been far from her best in the FA WSL this season, but she’s still looked dangerous when slotted into the No. 10 role for England. She could compete for the Golden Ball, or she could lose her starting spot. It’s hard to tell which one is more likely at the moment.

Even the most structured teams are usually allowed one flair player, and Asllani is that for Sweden. While most of the team will prioritize staying in shape and playing safe passes, Asllani will not be afraid to run at defenders and try to make creative plays. Sweden has lacked for scoring power since the retirement of Lotta Schelin, and will rely on Asllani to be their most dangerous attacker.

The six-time world player of the year and the greatest player ever in women’s soccer has lost quite a bit of her pace, but is still one of the top attacking players on the planet. The question is whether Brazil can make the most of her current skillset. Marta is a more intelligent player and better passer than she was in her prime, but her teammates look like they don’t know how to play without her running solo through entire opposing defenses. She can still be the centerpiece of a great team if they understand that the Marta of a decade ago isn’t walking through the door.

When anyone questions Australia’s defense, they mean three-quarters of it. There’s no doubting Catley’s qualifications as a world class left back in all phases of play. She’s the Matildas’ best defender by a mile, and also a major threat getting forward. Expect her to deliver a lot of quality crosses into the box and pick up an assist or two before Australia is done.

Popp spent her early career getting shifted around the Germany front line to fill in wherever she was needed, but at 28, she’s now firmly established as the country’s starting center forward. Germany has quicker and flashier young talents ready to come off the bench, but Popp’s consistent physical presence and intelligent movement make her a key piece for one of the tournament favorites.

Scotland has qualified for the World Cup for the first time, and they’ll be depending on the leadership of Corsie at the back to keep them in games. The Scots moved Corsie into midfield out of necessity at the Euros two years ago, but the back line struggled without her, and she should be back to running the defense in France. She’s one of the most positionally sound defenders in the world, and she’s entering the World Cup in excellent club form.

Norway’s highly structured style of play was one of the factors that drove Ballon d’Or winner Ada Hegerberg to quit the team, but her countrywomen will have at least one source of creativity in their squad. Hansen can play all across the attack, but usually lines up as a second striker with the freedom to drift around. She’s one of the best in the world at dribbling with pace and it often looks impossible for defenders to pick the ball off her feet.

Oshoala entered the last World Cup fresh off starring at the Under-20 World Cup. She scored in her first match at the senior tournament, but looked very much like a raw young talent without much end product to go along with her pace and dribbling ability. But fast forward four years, and Oshoala is a complete attacking player. Her through balls and crossing have improved considerably, and her finishing is now arguably the best part of her game. She can play on the right or at center forward, depending on which of her extremely talented teammates play from game to game.

No team depends on its star player more than South Korea depends on Ji. She plays behind the central striker and provides just as many assists as goals, but she’s also her country’s all-time leading scorer by a wide margin. She’s technically superb, with one of the sweetest first touches in the game, and she makes brilliant runs off one-two exchanges with teammates. The big question for South Korea is whether they can find ways to exploit defenses that focus exclusively on denying touches to Ji.

In 2016, Rapinoe rushed back from an ACL injury only to struggle at the Olympics and finish the NWSL season with just 205 minutes played. Many assumed that her career as a key player for the United States was over. But three years later, she’s more important than she’s ever been. The 33-year-old is entering the World Cup on top form, and will be expected to tally several goals and assists from the left wing.

No one is entering the World Cup on hotter form than Parris. She’s scored 19 goals in 19 games for Manchester City in the FA WSL this season, and she found the back of the net six times for England during World Cup qualifying. Parris has always been one of the fastest players in England, but she only recently added elite finishing skills to her game — she scored just one league goal in 2016 before tallying 11 last season, then increasing her scoring total once again this season.

Wang has been well known as one of China’s biggest rising stars for over a decade. She made her youth international debut at 12 and first suited up for the senior team at 17. But it’s just in the past year, since moving to Paris Saint-Germain, that she’s become one of the best midfielders in the world. She’s never afraid to sprint through midfield with the ball at her feet and she has a wicked left foot. Her set piece deliveries could be key for China.

The Netherlands has one of the best attacks at the World Cup, and it starts with van de Donk. She’s the primary playmaker that all of their moves revolve around, and she’ll drift from her central attacking midfield role to find the ball. She’s added a lot more to her game over the past two years too — her 13-goal tally for Arsenal this season is her best since she’s left her home country, and she’s a much more adept tackler than she was when the Netherlands won the 2017 European Championship.

Once considered a regular Ballon d’Or contender, Henry hasn’t quite been on that level of form since she left Europe for NWSL. But she still re-established herself as a first choice player at Olympique Lyonnais this season and was a key part of their Champions League-winning campaign. Henry is a very well-rounded defensive midfielder, responsible for starting France’s attacks and slowing down opposition breaks, and she’s equally adept at both.

A decade into spearheading the United States attack, Morgan is a much different player than she was when she first burst onto the scene. Once a pure goal-poacher, reliant on her speed, Morgan has morphed into a deep-lying forward who’s more responsible for hold-up play and setting up her teammates than she is for scoring goals. In the American attack, she often wins the ball to start moves or makes the pass before the assist, in case you’re wondering why she doesn’t show up in the box score more often.

And yet, Morgan is still a world-class finisher. She’s racked up 21 USWNT goals since the start of 2018, many of them from lurking around the box on set pieces and finishing off knockdowns. She might not be the run in behind-style striker you remember, but she’s still one of the best in the world, and her willingness to do the dirty work is what makes the U.S. attack work so well.

It’s rare for a right back to receive the accolades Bronze has, but she manages to stand out at what is often the least glamorous position on the field. She seems to have endless energy and never gets caught out of position, despite her regular adventurous runs towards the opposing endline to deliver excellent crosses into the box. She’s great with the ball at her feet too, leading her coach to experiment with playing her at central midfield.

If Bronze does end up playing in the middle, it’ll be a shame. It’s a waste of her best talent — picking the ball off the feet of opposing wingers who thought they had her beat. There isn’t a better one-on-one wing defender in the world.

Every team needs an energy player. Someone to do the running. Dabritz is that for Germany, but in another timeline, she could have been a world-class team’s most creative attacking player. There aren’t any box-to-box central midfielders who have quicker feet, and when she does get an opportunity to take on a defender with a skill move, she doesn’t let it slip away.

It’s a delight to watch a player who is willing to do the simple job asked of her, but capable of so much more. After a long spell of breaking up play and hitting safe passes, Dabritz can pop up out of nowhere with a solo slalom run through multiple defenders, or a powerful goal from 20 yards out.

In 2015, the Netherlands was not ready for their first big tournament, and neither was a 19-year-old Miedema. The much hyped prodigal forward looked overwhelmed by the big stage. But a lot changed for the Oranje over the next two years, and they went on to win a European title in 2017 with Miedema scoring goals up top. She’s only gotten better since.

Miedema scored an outrageous 31 goals in 27 appearances for Arsenal this season, to go along with 11 goals in her last 15 appearances for the Netherlands. She might not be as well-rounded as the other players in contention for best striker in the world, but with a scoring record like that, she doesn’t have to be. Expect the Netherlands to set up their team to enable Miedema to score as many goals as possible without worrying about anything else.

Scotland’s upset of Switzerland in qualification means the world gets to see Little on the biggest stage for the first time. Most assumed she’d never have a chance to play at a World Cup, but she scored in each of Scotland’s last three qualifiers, guiding them to the finals for the first time.

Little is arguably the best player ever for both Arsenal and Reign FC, and she won the PFA Player of the Year and NWSL MVP in back-to-back seasons. Scotland is built around giving her creative freedom in a central attacking midfield role, and she makes the most of it with spectacular goals and assists. Her first touch is second to none, and she might be the best player in the world at turning away from defenders with it.

There is no more consistent player in the history of world soccer than Christine Sinclair. She’s tallied 181 international goals — just three shy of the all-time record. She’s never won a league MVP or golden boot, but has been a star player on four championship teams, and a finalist for FIFA World Player of the Year seven times. And even though she’ll turn 36 at this World Cup, she’s still Canada’s most important player.

Sinclair can’t blow by defenders with pace like she used to, but very few formerly speed-dependant players have been able to adjust their games as well as her. She’s become an excellent playmaker, and she creates space with intelligent movement, ghosting away from oblivious defenders. This should be her last World Cup, so appreciate her while you can.

What do you do when your best center back and your best midfielder are the same player? That’s the dilemma Japan has had for Kumagai’s entire career. It appears that she’ll be playing in the back at this World Cup, and if she does, she’ll be by far the smoothest passing central defender at the tournament.

This, unfortunately, means we won’t get to see too much of Kumagai playing defense-splitting through balls or making runs into the box. But we will get to see her show off her incredible anticipation and awareness as she cuts off passes before they reach opposing forwards. Expect Japan’s opponents to attack around her in an attempt to avoid her.

The United States has confidence in its ability to dominate any opponent, and in its defense to win difficult battles in space. It’s not always a smart strategy, but it does mean we get to see the most entertaining version of Ertz, an absolute wrecking ball of a midfielder who seemingly has zero regard for her own physical health. You will see her flying around everywhere to win the ball, and you’ll see her end each game with purple body parts and bandages.

Ertz was a central defender, and a great one, at the last World Cup. Her best skill was making aggressive plays to win the ball high up the pitch, though, so she’s being given more opportunities to do that. American fans might be a bit less stressed out if they had a defensive midfielder who held her position, but Ertz creates so many dangerous counter-attacks with her aggressive style that it’s almost certainly worth it to just let her do her thing.

Here’s what Le Sommer does to people: In the 44th minute of France’s 2018 SheBelieves Cup match against the United States, American right back Taylor Smith was substituted. Asked after the game if Smith was injured, USWNT coach Jill Ellis said no, the sub was tactical. She couldn’t wait to make a halftime change because she was so concerned that Le Sommer would score in the one minute before the break. That’s how badly Le Sommer turned Smith inside-out.

She’s made a habit of doing that regularly over the last decade, as she’s scored hundreds of goals cutting in from the left wing. Dozens of them in the Champions League, which she’s won five times. Seventy-three of them for France, who she’s trying to fire to their first major championship. She’s fast, direct, and will have opposing right backs spinning around trying to catch up to her.

Horan’s rise to the top of women’s soccer has been anticipated for a long time. She scored a goal per game for the United States at youth level and signed for Paris Saint-Germain as an 18-year-old. Horan took a bit longer than expected to become a first choice player for the USWNT, but now, at 24, she’s finally considered undroppable.

A switch from striker to central midfield is what started Horan on the path to becoming one of the best players in the world. Her passing game didn’t develop immediately, but she’s now just as good at hitting through balls and long diagonals as anyone who’s spent their entire career in the role. Those skills combined with the ones she’s always had — top tier size and athleticism, plus a rocket of a shot — helped make her NWSL MVP last season. Horan is impossible to push off the ball and should be the most frustrating American player for opponents to play against.

Maroszan is the most skilled midfield playmaker in the world, and unlike 2015, she’s entering this World Cup completely healthy. Germany was bounced out of the semifinals of that tournament by the United States as Maroszan hobbled around the pitch, but a year later, they won an Olympic gold medal as she scored in the final. They’ll have their sights set on winning with their No. 10 on top form.

To a first-time viewer, Maroszan will stand out as clearly a level above her peers when it comes to controlling the ball. Her touches look effortless, and she looks like she’s already mapped out the next five moves in her head whenever she receives the ball. For how seemingly risky and ambitious her play is, it’s astonishing how infrequently she makes mistakes.

The Netherlands have an attack loaded with stars, but the one with the most pressure to deliver is Martens, the left winger who creates most of their goals. Martens was the best player at Euro 2017 and was subsequently named FIFA’s world player of the year, and she’s only improved since then.

After the Euros, Martens made a move to Barcelona, then very much an up-and-coming women’s team without much of a history at the highest levels of the sport. She’s been the catalyst in their rise to the top over the last two years, helping guide the Blaugrana to a Champions League final this season. Expect to see her slashing inside and supplying Miedema repeatedly.

Heath has long been the United States’ flashiest player, but her tricks used to have very little on the end of them. Over the past two years, she’s finally developed a killer instinct around the box, and is now the Americans’ most impactful attacker. Fortunately for neutral fans, her added goals and assists have not come at the expense of her creative skills, and you can still expect to see quite a few nutmegs.

The USWNT tries to get Heath into one-on-one situations on the right wing, and she routinely embarrasses defenders before setting up a tap-in or ripping a shot into the top corner. She’ll show up in the box score more often than anyone else at the World Cup, and she might be the tournament’s most entertaining player too.

The first thing you will notice about Renard is that she’s very tall. She’s 6’2 without her hair, and at least 7’ with it on full display. Her size and jumping ability make her a formidable goal-scorer on set pieces — she’s found the back of the net 86 times for France and Lyon, despite being a central defender. But there’s so much more to her game than her size.

Renard is an excellent passer out of the back, quicker than anyone else her size, and excellent at reading the game to cut out dangerous passes. If she was 5’6, she’d still be a world-class center back. But yes, her size is very useful, and a major reason why she’s the most dominant defender in the women’s game.

There are times when Kerr looks so dominant, you wonder why she doesn’t just choose to score every time she has the ball. She’s won back-to-back NWSL golden boots, and she left for Australia camp with six goals in six games this season. She’s won back-to-back Australian W-League golden boots too. She’s scored 79 goals over her last 83 club games, and 23 goals in her last 26 games for Australia over the same time period. She’s had no bad run of form for two and a half years. She just keeps scoring.

And for that reason, Australia is among the favorites to win the World Cup. The Matildas went through a surprise coaching change just six months before the tournament started, and their defense is shaky, but Kerr’s breakaway speed and decisive finishing give them a chance to win any game. There’s no reason to believe she won’t keep scoring constantly at the World Cup.