List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Georgia Stanway’s retaken first-half penalty was enough to earn England a nervy 1-0 victory over World Cup debutants Haiti in their Group D opener at Brisbane Stadium. This was not the decisive victory most had predicted for the European champions and world’s number-four side against a team 49 places below them in the FIFA rankings. Haiti came close to levelling more than once, including a late second-half chance denied at the last by Mary Earps’ outstretched foot. While the Lionesses ultimately walked away with all three points, it was an underwhelming performance that will leave boss Sarina Wiegman with plenty of questions ahead of Friday’s meeting with Denmark. England fans were out in full force ahead of kick-off in the Queensland capital, where ‘Football’s Coming Home’ could be heard from a riverside rally and ex-Arsenal forward Ian Wright posed in a Lotte Wubben-Moy shirt beneath Story Bridge. For so much of the build-up of this tournament, the conversation around the Lionesses centred on their ongoing dispute with the Football Association over bonus payments and other commercial issues. On a clear Thursday night, England wanted their football to do the talking, yet it was Haiti who enjoyed the first spell of attack, winning an early corner before Chloe Kelly, the hero in last summer’s Euro 2022 final, tested Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus with a curled effort. One of the biggest dilemmas for Wiegman ahead of this tournament was who she would entrust as her number nine and – for this opener at least – it was Alessia Russo who led the England attack and rolled an early effort at Theus. England fans, who by the noise inside the stadium comprised the majority of those in attendance, felt their hearts leap to their throats when Roselord Borgella broke free and was one-on-one with Earps but rolled her effort past the far post. The Lionesses thought they had won a least a penalty when Dayana Pierre-Louis clattered into Kelly on the byline and appeared to clip her knee with a stud, but the Haitian midfielder got away with just a yellow card after it was determined – following a lengthy VAR check – that Russo had committed a foul in the build-up. Soon after that decision, however, Batcheba Louis was punished for a handball and Stanway stepped up to the spot. Theus sparked a jubilant Haitian celebration when she saved Stanway’s first effort, but VAR again intervened and Venezuelan referee Emikar Calderas ruled the keeper had encroached and the penalty was retaken. Stanway did not make the same mistake twice as she fired low into the left corner for what felt like an uneasy lead at the end of a stop-start first half. Melchie Dumornay, the 19-year-old midfielder bound for Lyon after this tournament, forced Earps into a leaping save shortly after the restart before Russo was twice denied in quick succession. Chelsea’s Lauren James made her World Cup debut after replacing Hemp, just ahead of another nervy moment for England when Dumornay found Haiti skipper Nerilia Mondesir in plenty of space before Jess Carter recovered the ball. James tried to get something started by delivering a cross to Russo, who came close but saw her attempt tipped over the crossbar, before Bright skied an effort and Theus picked crosses from Alex Greenwood and James out of the air. On came Rachel Daly for Russo in the 76th minute as Haiti pushed for an equaliser, which nearly came via Roseline Eloissaint but for the outstretched foot of Earps to deny the substitute from 18 yards out. Carter’s well-timed challenge broke up another Haiti run into the Lionesses’ final third, with Earps able to punch away the resulting corner. The chances came for the Lionesses to double their advantage but never the finishing touch as England finished with the result, but probably not the performance, they wanted. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live England’s chances of winning fourth Ashes Test set back by rain Brian Harman hoping history repeats itself after claiming huge halfway lead Denise O’Sullivan hails ‘unbelievable’ Ireland fans at World Cup

With the retirement of England’s record goalscorer Ellen White in the wake of last summer’s Euros triumph, much of the responsibility for providing the side’s attacking threat could now fall upon the shoulders of Alessia Russo. Russo, 24, who has just moved from Manchester United to Arsenal on a free transfer, grew in influence as that tournament progressed, regularly emerging from the bench to replace White and scoring twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Northern Ireland, as well as netting arguably the goal of the tournament in the semi-final: an utterly outrageous backheel to embarrass Sweden. Born and raised in Maidstone, Kent, Russo is of Sicillian heritage and took to football from an early age, both her father Mario and older brother Giorgio having played at non-league level. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Rising through the youth ranks of first Charlton Athletic and then Chelsea, she briefly appeared for Brighton and Hove Albion in 2017 before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she spent two years playing college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels alongside Lotte Wubben-Moy, scoring an impressive 28 goals across 58 games over two seasons before having to curtail her time in the United States because of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsequently signing for Manchester United, she has scored 22 goals in 48 games for the Red Devils over the last three seasons, form that has earned her the attention of Sarina Wiegman and a move to the multiple title-winners, where she will link up next season with Lionesses’s teammates Leah Williamson, Wubben-Moye and Beth Mead and European greats Vivianne Miedema and Stina Blackstenius. The goalscoring form of both Rachel Daly and Bethany England last season means Russo’s place in the starting lineup as White’s natural replacement is by no means a given, however. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today

Chloe Kelly has already secured her place in English football history after coming off the bench in last summer’s Euro 2022 Final to stab home the winner in extra-time as Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses beat Germany 2-1, tearing off her shirt and whirling it maniacally in the air in one of the most instantly-iconic celebrations Wembley has ever seen. Kelly had almost missed the tournament with a knee injury but returned to triumph, her moment of euphoria as joyous and empowering a moment as any sport anywhere has ever produced. Since then, she was England’s top scorer in February’s Arnold Clark Cup and scored the winning penalty against Brazil to win the Finalissima, proving once again that she is a big game player of the very highest calibre. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Still only 25, the Londoner grew up in Hanwell, just a bus ride away from the national stadium, the youngest of seven siblings who credits her career to playing street football with her five brothers from a young age. Starting out at Queens Park Rangers, she was soon spotted by Arsenal and progressed through the Gunners’ youth ranks to make her senior debut against Watford at 17, scoring just 22 minutes into that match. In 2016, she was loaned out to Everton, who later made the signing permanent. She would score 16 times for the Toffees in 45 appearances before moving to Manchester City in 2020, where she has since netted another 16 in 48. At international level, she has worked her way up from under-17s to the senior squad, making her Lionesses debut versus Austria in November 2018 in a 3-0 win. With Beth Mead ruled out, Kelly will be competing with the likes of Lauren James for a starting place on the right-wing for England in Australia and New Zealand this month, where her directness again promises to terrify opposition defences. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

Like international teammate Chloe Kelly, Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone will forever be remembered for scoring in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley last July. While Kelly’s winner and celebration made the headlines, in truth it was Toone’s equaliser that was the finer finish, the substitute staying onside to beat the German defence, latching onto an exquisite pass from Keira Walsh and delicately lofting the ball over Merle Frohms into an empty net. She had already netted a crucial equaliser against Spain in the quarter-finals of the same tournament when the Lionesses were beginning to look beaten and has since scored in another final for England, the Finalissima to be exact, setting her side on the path to a 4-2 win on penalties over the South American champions Brazil. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Growing up outside Wigan, Toone, 23, began her playing career with Astley and Tyldesley Girls, where she was spotted by United and drafted into its youth set up in 2007 at the age of just eight, her potential obvious even then. However, after finding her opportunities for advancement limited, she left in 2013 at 14 to join Blackburn Rovers, breaking into the first team in 2015 and scoring an impressive 13 goals in 20 appearances. Between 2016 and 2018 she was with Manchester City, but played for them just five times before returning to United for its inaugural season in the FA Women’s Championship. She has gone on to play 99 times for the Red Devils and score 34 goals, appearing to particularly relish turning out against Leicester, having scored four against them and then five over the course of two separate encounters in 2019. Like Rachel Daly, it was Phil Neville who first called her up for England duty and nurtured her talent at international level, work that has continued under Sarina Wiegman and which has seen her bag two hat-tricks in qualifying for the World Cup against Latvia and North Macedonia. She will be expected to start this time around in place of the injured Fran Kirby. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

Despite being a Manchester City fan so committed to the club that she had pet goldfish named Shaun Goater and Nicolas Anelka as a child, Keira Walsh was also a keen student of “tiki-taka”-era Barcelona growing up in Rochdale, admiring the total control demonstrated by Pep Guardiola’s sides through elegant possession football. These days, Pep is managing City and it is Walsh herself sitting at the heart of Barca’s midfield. She made that move last summer for a world record fee after starring for the Lionesses at Euro 2022, pulling the strings at the centre of the park like another of her idols, David Silva, always knowing precisely when to play the killer pass. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti There was no finer example of this than the perfectly-weighted long ball she dinked into Ella Toone for England’s opener against Germany in the final, for which she was deservingly named player of the match. Another famed instance of Walsh’s artistry in action came at the SheBelieves Cup in Japan in 2019, when she played in Beth Mead with a pass that took out no fewer than eight separate opposition players in one move, a clip of which swiftly went viral. Her performances during the Euros inspired French journalist Julien Laurens to hail her as “the best player in the world”, an accolade that will place renewed pressure on her to stamp her authority on the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. Walsh, now 26, abandoned youthful passions for badminton and cricket to commit to football, emerging from Blackburn Rovers’ youth system before transferring to her beloved City in 2014, where she made 118 appearances and became known to the club’s Oasis-besotted fans as “WonderWalsh” in tribute to her dependable presence. Former teammate Jill Scott, incidentally, has said her nickname among the Lionesses is “Sat Nav Foot” for the extraordinary precision of her passing. For England, Walsh has effortlessly succeeded Fara Williams in central midfield, having been handed the captain’s armband in just her seventh outing for the Lionesses, aged 21, and is no doubt the first name on Sarina Wiegman’s team sheet these days. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

With the Lionesses’ Euro 2022-winning captain Leah Williamson forced to miss out on the World Cup through injury, coach Sarina Wiegman has entrusted the responsibility for leading the team to experienced Chelsea centre back Millie Bright. Bright has been passed fit for England’s match against Haiti after recovering from knee surgery and the defender will lead the Lionesses in their Group D opener. Now 29, Bright grew up in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, overcoming infant pneumonia and asthma to enjoy a career as a top level athlete, although her first love was equestrianism, not football. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Showing early promise when she did take to the field aged nine, she was soon scouted playing for Killamarsh Dynamos by Sheffield United and joined their academy before moving to Doncaster Rovers Belles aged 16 in 2009. Making her debut that same year and scoring on her first start, Bright spent a year on loan at Leeds Ladies before establishing herself at Doncaster, where she played with future Lionesses Mary Earps and Bethany England. In December 2014, she signed for Chelsea and has remained with the West London club ever since, picking up four Barclays Women’s Super League titles, three FA Women’s Cups and reaching the UEFA Champions League Final, scoring 14 times across 218 appearances. For England, she was an essential part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the last FIFA World Cup in France in 2019 and of last summer’s triumphant Euros team. She has represented her country, to date, 66 times and scored five international goals, striking up solid defensive partnerships with Williamson and Houghton during that time and posing a significant aerial threat from set plays. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy was a squad player with England’s triumphant Euro 2022 side but will be ready to step up to the first team at the World Cup should Sarina Wiegman call upon her, with a number of high-profile defensive injury concerns making that increasingly likely. The Londoner, born to Dutch and English parents in Bow, has been with the Gunners since she was a child except for a stint in US college soccer with the North Carolina Tar Heels between 2017 and 2020, where her roommate was Alessia Russo, with whom she has just been reunited at club level. By enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the pair were following in the footsteps of fellow Lioness Lucy Bronze, but there time in North America was sadly curtailed by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, which at least enabled her to return to North London. Now 24, Wubben-Moy has played 66 times for the Gunners over the course of her two stints with the club since 2015, scoring five times and counting England colleagues Leah Williamson and Beth Mead among her illustrious teammates. She was also captain of England’s successful under-17s side between 2015 and 2017 and has since picked up 10 caps for the senior side, a total she will be hoping to add to in Australia and New Zealand. However, perhaps Wubben-Moy’s biggest contribution to the Lionesses came immediately after the Euros, and off the pitch. While the Lionesses have become an important voice in asking for better for women in sport, and for inclusion in general, Wubben-Moy has been at the forefront of it. A player who understands her role in society, was her idea to demand equal access to sport for girl’s in school after the Euros final, leading to £600m of funding being pledged by the Government. Wubben-Moy’s affinity for Arsenal and the local area is well known – and her new deal with the club includes a commitment to support upcoming local community projects. The centre-back also spoke out against the hosting of the Qatar World Cup due to the country’s laws on homosexuality. Wubben-Moy is in a relationship with the professional cyclist and former Giro d’Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart. Read More Keira Walsh: England’s deep-lying playmaker in profile Millie Bright: England women’s football captain in profile England women World Cup fixtures and route to the final

With the Lionesses’ Euro 2022-winning captain Leah Williamson forced to miss out on the World Cup through injury, coach Sarina Wiegman has entrusted the responsibility for leading the team to experienced Chelsea centre back Millie Bright. Bright has been passed fit for England’s match against Haiti after recovering from knee surgery and the defender will lead the Lionesses in their Group D opener. Now 29, Bright grew up in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, overcoming infant pneumonia and asthma to enjoy a career as a top level athlete, although her first love was equestrianism, not football. Showing early promise when she did take to the field aged nine, she was soon scouted playing for Killamarsh Dynamos by Sheffield United and joined their academy before moving to Doncaster Rovers Belles aged 16 in 2009. Making her debut that same year and scoring on her first start, Bright spent a year on loan at Leeds Ladies before establishing herself at Doncaster, where she played with future Lionesses Mary Earps and Bethany England. In December 2014, she signed for Chelsea and has remained with the West London club ever since, picking up four Barclays Women’s Super League titles, three FA Women’s Cups and reaching the UEFA Champions League Final, scoring 14 times across 218 appearances. For England, she was an essential part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the last FIFA World Cup in France in 2019 and of last summer’s triumphant Euros team. She has represented her country, to date, 66 times and scored five international goals, striking up solid defensive partnerships with Williamson and Houghton during that time and posing a significant aerial threat from set plays. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?

England begin their Women’s World Cup campaign against Haiti as the Lionesses look to follow up last summer’s Euros triumph with another major tournament victory. Sarina Wiegman’s side come into the World Cup as one of the favourites, despite losing stars Leah Williamson, Beth Mead and Fran Kirby to injury, and are expected to get off to a winning start in Group D against debutants Haiti. With Williamson out, her centre-back partner Millie Bright will captain the side in Australia and the Lionesses have been boosted by the news that their stand-in skipper is fit to start. Haiti, who are ranked 53rd in the world, are joined by China and Denmark in Group D. England’s build-up to the World Cup has come amid a row with the Football Association over bonus payments and other commercial concerns, but the players have agreed to pause discussions during the tournament. Follow live updates as England take on Haiti at the Women’s World Cup. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today

Republic of Ireland midfielder Denise O’Sullivan has reflected on an “unbelievable” first taste of World Cup football and admitted adrenaline meant she felt no pain during Thursday’s defeat to Australia. O’Sullivan had been a doubt for their Group B opener after she suffered a soft tissue and bone bruise injury during last week’s warm-up match with Colombia that was cancelled after only 20 minutes. North Carolina captain O’Sullivan was able to recover in time to play the whole match in front of a record crowd of 75,784 at Stadium Australia and she has talked up the vocal support of the Irish fans even before the narrow 1-0 loss. “It was sore in the game, but the medical team done a few things to make sure I wasn’t in that much pain. I think honestly the adrenaline was so high I didn’t feel anything,” O’Sullivan told RTE after Ireland’s major tournament debut. “It was unbelievable. I can’t even describe it. We were in the tunnel waiting to walk out and we could already hear the Irish fans. “We were just all smiling and looking at each other. It was a moment I will never forget and then walking out. “Even to do the warm-up, they started singing right away and that’s all you could hear in the stadium, Irish fans. We definitely have the best fans in the world. It was an unbelievable experience for our opening game.” A 52nd-minute penalty from Australia’s stand-in captain Steph Catley consigned Ireland to an opening defeat, but there were plenty of positives for Vera Pauw’s side who play Olympic champions Canada next on Wednesday in Perth. Eighteen-year-old Abbie Larkin was a bright note for the Girls in Green and she has been backed to further shine. O’Sullivan said of Larkin: “Honestly, no fear. She is a little gem. I have been saying it in training leading up to this game, she is a different player. “She’s been excellent and coming into the game, it is a lot of pressure for an 18-year-old, your first World Cup game, but she took it in her stride. She came on and was absolutely fantastic so I am really happy for her.” When O’Sullivan broke through as a teenager in 2011, the state of Irish football was markedly differently but the 29-year-old is delighted with their progress and to finally make her major tournament debut with so many long-serving team-mates. It was unbelievable. I can't even describe it. We were in the tunnel waiting to walk out and we could already hear the Irish fans. Republic of Ireland midfielder Denise O'Sullivan She added: “It was tough back then. I don’t think we had many resources and facilities or investment as we do right now. “I would have dreamed to be at a World Cup when I was 18-years-old but it just wasn’t possible back then. “Always in the back of my mind I did have that belief that some day I would make it to a World Cup and I am just really grateful I am here with this group of players. Some of them I have been playing with for 10 plus years and it is great to be on this journey with them.”

British High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadell believes England’s Lionesses have a vital role to play in the diplomatic mission of fighting for the rights of women and girls around the world. England players on Tuesday released a collective statement, posted on Twitter by captain Millie Bright, outlining their “disappointment” in not reaching an agreement with the Football Association over performance bonus payments and commercial structures ahead of their World Cup opener against Haiti in Brisbane. That fight, they said, was driven not solely by personal gain but by “a strong sense of responsibility to grow the game” globally – a sentiment reiterated by numerous players over the last few days in the Queensland capital, where defender Lucy Bronze explained “we’re not only doing this for ourselves, we’re doing it so that we can set a standard.” Asked how she felt about the Lionesses’ advocacy, Treadell told the PA news agency: “I’m hugely proud. If you have a platform you should use it for global good. “I think the Lionesses are doing just that. They are personalities, they have a profile, it’s part of a much broader global agenda of closing the gender pay gap. [In many professions] women are still behind the men. “We must all work together to say ‘that is wrong’. If we’re doing the same job we should have equal pay. So if they voice that, if we voice that it’s about pushing that and getting people to say actually, that is about equality, that is about fairness. “Football is played on every continent. The English Premier League, the Women’s Super League in the UK, has a global audience. It’s a great soft power asset. More people watch British football than any other nation’s football. They are personalities, they have a profile, it's part of a much broader global agenda of closing the gender pay gap Vicki Treadell “So for us they are amazing brand ambassadors entering every room.” This is not the first time the Lionesses have used their platform politically. Days after lifting the Euro 2022 trophy, they collectively released a letter to then-Conservative leadership candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss with a host of demands including a school football provision for girls identical to that offered to boys. Their campaign paid off in March when the government responded with a new package of measures designed to grant equal access to all school sport, backed by over £600 million in funding over the next two academic years. According to last year’s FIFA benchmarking report on women’s leagues and clubs, the average salary in the women’s game worldwide is just USD 14,000 (£11,000). And at international level, players from World Cup nations including France, Spain, Jamaica, Canada, South Africa and Zambia have all called out or taken action over issues ranging from playing and training conditions to personnel, while this is the first World Cup the United States will play following their landmark legal battle for equal pay. An increased prize pot of 110 million US dollars (£84.2m) for this World Cup came after an open letter to FIFA signed by 150 players from 25 national teams called for equal conditions and a guarantee that at least 30 per cent of prize money would be allocated to players. That pot is more than three times that of the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, but still pales in comparison to the 440 million USD (£342m) doled out after the 2022 men’s edition in Qatar, though FIFA has outlined ambitions for parity by the next World Cups. Bright will for England’s second match wear an armband advocating for Indigenous People, a collective choice she said was “massively important to us as a team” after meeting members of the community in Australia. Treadell lauded that decision, adding: “It’s really important cultural understanding and awareness. The wonderful thing is that it’s the women of those First Nations who have been at the forefront of these welcomes. “Women to women, gender empowerment, inspiring young girls of whatever race, religion, ethnicity, that there is potential that they can realise their dreams. “And of course the Lionesses are role models about realising your dreams.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live On this day in 2012: Bradley Wiggins celebrates historic Tour de France victory Day four of fourth Ashes Test: Eyes on the skies as England chase victory Tommy Fleetwood vows to give chase as Open history favours Brian Harman

The battle for the Women’s World Cup is underway, but the contest for the best kit at the tournament has never been stronger. The biggest ever Women’s World Cup means there are more new shirts to dive into than ever before, while Nike and Adidas have taken their creative experimentation process to another level in Australia and New Zealand. Like in 2019, the Women’s World Cup features a host of unique designs - with Adidas unveiling a selection of nature-themed kits and Nike taking inspiration from various artistic movements. The results are wild. Here are the Women’s World Cup 2023 kits, ranked and rated from worst to best: China - away A rival to Liverpool’s disastrous 2014-15 away kit as football’s answer to Thunderbird 4. Yellow and red is a dangerous combination which, unless you are Partick Thistle, is very difficult to pull off. Switzerland - away Incredible: this isn’t just leaving your class project until the night before its due, but finishing it on the bus into school. If you need to spell out your country’s name on the front you’re probably not doing a great job of selling any sort of identity. South Korea - home South Korea’s big twist for the World Cup is a flash of vibrant pink on the sides. The question is why. Zambia - away Let’s be honest: it doesn’t look like a lot of effort has been put into this. It’s a reverse of the home shirt, which is at least decent, except the all-black side strip just looks like something has driven over it. Portugal - away Arguably, too much effort has been put into this. Over to Nike, as football meets “modern art”. Explanation: “The away kit features a vibrant colour scheme and bespoke pattern inspired by the country’s famous calçada Portuguesa design.” Ok, great, but it also looks like a two-year-old just been let loose with a paint brush, which may reveal my feelings about modern art. Vietnam - away What a remarkably strict collar this is from Vietnam - it would suit a midfield enforcer rather well. A disciplined kit lacking in vibes, aside from the faint swirly pattern in the background. Haiti - home and away A rogue entry from the good people of SaetaSports, who based their promotion of this Haiti kit around “armour”. It perhaps explains why they appear to be so tight. There are so minor tweaks to the away, but it follows the same design. The problem is neither look like real kits. USA - home Even the defending champions can’t escape another Nike dive into modern art! This time the final product is a statement featuring the “movement of abstract expressionism”. I’ll let Nike explain: “the home kit features a distinct drip-paint technique pattern, highlighting the energy of the women’s national team — though different, they are united”. Excellent chat, but again, a five-year-old has just been let loose with a bucket of paint and you won’t convince me otherwise. It’s a wild move from the four-time winners. Australia - away A training top at best, but Australia should only have to wear yellow at their own World Cup and, thankfully, their home kit is a beauty. Norway - away Clearly, Norway missed out on Nike’s funky away shirt list. This is bland, and the mismatch between the shoulder and sleeve trim isn’t working for me. China - home China have no interest in taking part in Nike’s experimental designs. The home is an obvious improvement, but neither will win awards. New Zealand - home New Zealand are called the Football Ferns, so it’s fairly obvious to see what is going on here. I like the ambition, but the spray paint pattern is faint, looks like it’s fading and doesn’t quite hit. It’s certainly no Canada home. Canada - away Incredibly plain, but the budget has been spent elsewhere (you’ll understand why when you get to what has been created for Canada’s home kit). Costa Rica - home The collar area features a clean trim but Adidas have left very little else to get excited about. Moving along. Panama - away It’s good to see Reebok making an appearance at the World Cup. It’s a shame they’ve brought this weird shoulder trim with them. Vietnam - home Vietnam will carry a bright, bold sheen into their first World Cup with this kit, which carries a much more relaxed vibe with the collar area loosened around the neck. It’s fine. Costa Rica - away Is this Costa Rica or a World XI kit from an old Fifa game? This is a smart kit, sure, but it’s not screaming Costa Rica to me - and I don’t think you can get away with gold trim with having only one appearance at the Women’s World Cup (2015: played three games, two draws, one defeat, no wins). Italy - away We begin the Adidas ‘nature’ series with Italy... and marble. “This Italy away jersey owes its eye-catching look to a rock that has permeated the region’s culture for millennia,” Adidas explain here. I’m not against it, but I’m not a fan either. When you’re designing football shirts from rocks you’ve probably gone a bit meta. Panama - home This looks like a little ‘early 2000s unlicensed soccer movie’. A big moment for hexagons. Denmark - home Welcome to the party, Hummel. Clearly, there were several texture designs on the table here, they couldn’t decide what to go for, so threw as many as they could onto the shoulders and sides. The background looks like a sketchbook and it’s all a bit too whacky. Denmark - away I will include Denmark away here as the approach just seems to be, ‘the same, but a bit less, and with a reverse colour scheme’. It has been marked accordingly. USA - away It feels like the USA’s away kit was an after-thought following on from the home. A dark blue and red combo peaks with the cuffs but is quite forgettable elsewhere. Netherlands - away Cool colours, but this is all a bit too wild. No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you, those splodges are actually lionesses, with the designers taking the team crest and “combining its shape with geometric modern patterns”. They are still splodges to me. Philippines - away The overall colour palette is refreshing and the shading of the stripes is interesting, but I fear this kit will be quite forgettable. England - home Struggles to even attempt to recapture the magic of last year’s home kit at the Euros, leaving it looking just a bit bland and missing something… Hopefully not an omen for England’s World Cup! Sweden - home Sweden go again with the home kit they wore at the Euros last summer, which on the inside was said to have instructions on how other teams could beat them. Whether that remains this year, after Sweden’s 4-0 defeat to England in the Euros semi-finals, is unclear - but what remains is a Sweden home kit that should look a lot more iconic than this. You’d think a Sweden kit would be hard to mess up, but then you’d think you wouldn’t but both crest and kit manufacturer slap bang in the middle, wouldn’t you. Spain - away Spain’s away kit “puts the nation’s colourful marine life front and centre” with a design “inspired by coral from the Mediterranean Sea”. Of all the nature themes Adidas have served up, this is one of the weaker efforts, probably because the “coral” is spilling over the sides rather than properly flourishing all over the shirt. The contrast of the blue and red is pleasing but the overall print doesn’t quite add up, for me. South Korea - away The colour blocking on the sides here is a clear improvement on the home and at least follows the traditional colours of the South Korea flag. A minor detail but a big improvement on the home. Norway - home Bold, strong colours and no messing around on the combinations this time from Norway. It’s not a disaster, but does it add a second star above the crest? Absolutely not. Colombia - home There are few thrills on this Colombia home kit (very much saved for the away) but it remains a classic combination. Nigeria - away Zoom into these squiggly patterns close enough and you’ll find a series of very intricate designs featuring traditional prints, each one different from the next. It’s a smart feature, but zoom out and those squiggles start to look like… squiggles. Or the groovy bug emoji. Brazil - away “Inspired by the Amazon”, Brazil have gone bright for this World Cup, like they are pitching a cartoon version of themselves. Leaves on the sleeves, but not quite packing a punch. Ireland - away I’ve been caught out here by Ireland changing their badge since the last time I saw an Irish football shirt. This badge now features a much more distinct three leaf clover, which makes sense, but does it come across just a bit clip-arty? Like the logo of an Irish pub that doesn’t quite know how to be Irish? Safe to say I preferred the old one. The thin hoops make this look very Celtic, which tells you Castore have delivered an Ireland away kit, because there really is no difference. Philippines - home It’s a shame better commercial images weren’t available, because this looks like the makings of a very tidy kit from the Philippines as they make their World Cup debut. From the colouring of the collar to the continuation of the red on the shoulders through to the pinstripes, there’s a lot to admire here. Germany - home The same as Germany’s men’s kit at the 2022 World Cup, except with two stars representing victories at the 2003 and 2007 Women’s World Cup. The black middle panel is so strong and imposing, perfect for a player like Lena Oberdrof. On the whole, Germany will hope it’s more fitting than it was when the men’s side crashed out at the group stages in Qatar. Zambia - home Much better from Zambia here. A rare kit at this World Cup that manages to be impactful while remaining fairly simple in its design. Zambia aren’t overdoing anything but the vertical stripes of red, black and orange in front of the dark green is a smart nod to the nation’s flag. Sweden - away Honestly I’m annoyed because this is so close to being perfect. “The new Sweden World Cup away kit stands out with a design inspired by Sweden’s glacial rivers,” says Adidas, but what’s really happened here is a classic, deep blue away shirt with perfect hints of yellow has been tarnished by some icy light blue blobs. I’m disappointed, but I’m keeping it high because I can see why it’s still nice. France - home Yes, for a France kit the blue here is far too light. But hold your anger, the “light blue and lilac hues” are a nod to the first France women’s teams of the 1920s. Still, you want a France kit that is deep, dark blue, like the tricolour. Switzerland - home Pinstripes from Puma! But not just pinstripes: pinstripes punctuated by spots, which gets a bit too much if you stare at it for too long. There’s a lot going on across the chest, too, while Puma feature their own refrence to nature with some subtle mountain gradients. Imagine what Adidas would have done. Brazil - home The tropical vibes continue for Brazil. I would like to see a stronger shade of yellow and green rather than these more playful tones - this is Brazil we are talking about. It’s fine, but it’s not a classic. Ireland - home Again, no messing about from Castore in delivering an ‘Ireland shirt’. Once more, I’m left wobbling by the new badge design (unlicensed ProEvo vibes), but there are some fine details elsewhere here. The colours of the pinstripes and the trim cuffs are tidy touches. Edges ahead of the away kit because it’s more green. Netherlands - home After the controversy of the men’s World Cup in Qatar, where the Netherlands appeared in a home kit that was not actually, eh, orange, this is a much-needed return to convention and form. It’s a bit plain, lacking any interesting details other than the bold crest, but at least the colour is right this time, and that’s enough for me. Spain - home Royal. Regal. Very Spain. Clean and crisp with a lovely trim around the collar. I’m pleasantly surprised that the lack of yellow stripes on the sleeves isn’t taking anything away. Argentina - home Another returning shirt from the men’s World Cup, except this time of course the familiar look of Lionel Messi’s winners. As a design, it’s timeless. South Africa - home Loving the energy. Full yellow is a lot, but Banyana Banyana can pull off this bold look. New Zealand - away This bright blue trim is stunning, “futuristic” according to Nike. Just look at those sleeves and the little hints of fern on the cuff. A striking shirt, while remaining subtle at the same time. Nicely done. Italy - home An Adidas Italy kit still takes some getting used to, but this is a lovely effort and is far more natural than Sweden’s previous attempt at a dark blue with its marble effect and gold trim. Pure Azzurri. Portugal - home Sometimes you’ve got to just play the hits: Nike, Portugal, striking red with a deep green trim - it’s a classic combination that works and evokes strong World Cup memories. And with Portugal making their debut at the Women’s World Cup, this was always the way to go. Japan - home A dazzling effort. There’s a lot going on here across the front, an adventurous texture of shading and patterns. Does it make sense? Probably not. Does it look good? For me, yes. South Africa - away Lovely from South Africa. While it may immediately remind you of the Springboks, this is classic. Green and gold is a timeless combination. France - away I’m a sucker for a clean, crisp France away shirt and this is ticking all the boxes. The design background design, if you’re interested, features “bespoke, hand-painted patterns” cut into hexagon shapes - the contrast with the sleeve cuffs adds a dimension as well. Argentina - away One of the maddest shirts at this World Cup, and that’s saying something. It’s about as unconventional as you can get: a completely new design and a totally new colour scheme for Argentina, inspired by the country’s colourful Quebrada de Humahuaca mountain range. Give that a quick Google and you’ll understand how this shirt came about. You have to applaud the invention. Nigeria - away True to form, Nigeria will bring another sizzling home kit to the World Cup, as Nike this time steer into “electric green”. Perhaps a tad plainer than previous tournaments, but this is another shirt that features a stunning sleeve cuff. A fine addition to Nigeria’s growing catalogue. Australia - home Beautiful. This swirly, marble-looking, pour pattern is exactly the bold and fearless attitude Australia will need if they are to win the World Cup on home soil. Overall a tremendous effort to make the yellow colour so deep - Sam Kerr will score goals in this, obviously, but Sam Kerr would also score goals in anything. Jamaica - away This isn’t just a reverse of the home kit, it’s so much more, retaining the feel of a Jamaica shirt while reimagining the colour scheme. The design feels high-end, classy, and as a pair to the home kit, it’s pretty much perfect. Canada - home I’m on my feet applauding this after being knocked off my seat by what Canada and Nike have produced here. The vision. England - away A stunner - capturing the essence of World Cup nostalgia and throwing it forward for the Lionesses to make new memories. No more notes - it’s just a thing of beauty. Jamaica - home An instant classic. What Adidas have created here is not just the quintessential Jamaica home kit, but a fashion item and piece of street wear without going over the top with its design. It’s a beauty. Colombia - away Stunning. Who knew a football kit could look like what Matthew McConaughey flew into at the end of Interstellar. I guess there was always a risk this kaleidoscopic design would be too much, but the way it seems to shimmer and move makes it an another instant classic. Japan - away Wow. This is… a masterpiece? Adidas and Japan knock it out of the park with an away shirt that combines the pink of the country’s iconic cherry blossom and the hue of a morning sunrise. The colour appears to shift and shine everywhere you look. Land of the rising sun indeed. Germany - away Just an unreal piece of work. Inspired by the country’s forests, this is majestic. The brilliance of these Adidas designs, when they hit, is that they represent a reimagining of what a football kit can look like, producing an item that is completely unique. This is the pick of the bunch. Our winner. Read More Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: Canada held to Nigeria draw before Spain begin tournament against Costa Rica How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener How to watch every Women’s World Cup match on TV England women World Cup fixtures and route to the final FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today