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England manager Sarina Wiegman distinctly remembers the day she and her Netherlands team-mates checked into the White Swan hotel in Guangzhou, China to launch an experiment that would forever change women’s football. It was 1988, Wiegman was 18, and while men had been participating in World Cups for 58 years, a women’s equivalent existed only as an idea – one FIFA decided first needed to be tested in the form of a proof-of-concept, 12-team tournament at a time when even the now-dominant Americans had played just 22 matches. Thirty-five years later, Wiegman’s Lionesses are one of the favourites to win the ninth edition of a global championship that has expanded to 32 teams, boasts a $110million (£84.7m) prize pot, has already sold out the 80,000-plus seat Stadium Australia and is expected to draw about two billion viewers from around the world. Asked at England’s team hotel in Queensland if teenage Sarina could have ever envisioned what the World Cup has become, the now 53-year-old immediately replied: “No. No, no, absolutely not. Absolutely not. The whole, everything, it’s totally changed, and really quickly. “And even when I was older and I think maybe 20 years ago, I would not have ever expected or not even dreamed to be in this situation, that in women’s football we would be now where we are, or even that I would be in a situation where I am now. That’s why I enjoy it so much, too. “It’s because I am grateful that things have changed so quickly. There’s still a long way to go, but how it grew [and moved] so many steps forward, I’m just very grateful for that.” Though women’s international competitions had taken place before, the 1988 Women’s Invitation Tournament was the first sanctioned by FIFA. Wiegman recalls that the White Swan felt “so luxurious”, but her memories of the playing conditions are foggier. She explained: “I just wanted to play. I wasn’t bothered about pitches, [because] I wasn’t used to [them]. We didn’t have the facilities. So I found everything we had in the stadium, there were 20,000 people, and they were laughing when someone made a mistake or something, that was really strange because they had a totally different view of football than in Europe, but well, there wouldn’t be 20,000 people [in Europe] then.” The Netherlands were ultimately beaten 2-1 by Brazil in the quarter-finals, but the competition solidified Wiegman’s desired destiny and convinced FIFA that an inaugural Women’s World Cup should be hosted by the same Chinese province in 1991. Wiegman said: “I thought ‘this is what I want to do’, but there weren’t very many opportunities then. But I just really loved that tournament, I will never forget that tournament.” The former midfielder remains adamant that “I’m just me and doing what I love the most” yet it is no exaggeration to say the self-described “serious” Hague native, whose CV is an astonishing chronicle of unprecedented accomplishments, has had a critical impact on the history of her beloved sport in more than one country. Wiegman retired after earning 104 caps for the Netherlands – her career itself a feat for a girl who once chose to chop off her hair and disguise herself as a boy because she found herself barred from football because of her gender. Since then Wiegman transitioned from PE teacher to the pioneering first head coach of Eredivisie Vrouwen side ADO Den Haag – but only after refusing an initial offer of a part-time role and insisting their ambitions were only viable with full investment. Wiegman assisted then-Netherlands head coach Roger Reijners at the 2015 World Cup, shortly after which she became the first woman in her country to coach with a men’s professional club, Sparta Rotterdam. She took permanent charge of the Netherlands in 2017, six months before they won the European Championship. Two years later, they were World Cup runners-up. With England’s Euro 2022 triumph, Wiegman became the first head coach to win that competition with two different countries. We really need to keep telling them what our identity is and where we came from England manager Sarina Wiegman Now the Lionesses boss could lead her side to the World Cup title that has so far evaded them both, decades after she boarded that life-altering plane to China and paved the way for the next wave of football-mad women just like her. Of them, she added: “Oh yes, they’re very grateful. Absolutely, this generation – yes. I think the younger group will come, we really need to keep telling them what our identity is and where we came from, where we come from. So we know how it was, how it’s growing and where we are. I think that’s very important.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Benjamin Mendy weeps as he is cleared of sex charges Novak Djokovic clashes with umpire and fans on his way to latest Wimbledon final Michal Kwiatkowski holds off Tadej Pogacar to take solo win on Grand Colombier

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The U.S. national team, like most of the rest of the field, faces a long flight to the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand

As football fans across the globe gear up for the Women’s World Cup, some of the biggest names in the game including England captain Leah Williamson will be absent because of a wave of ACL injuries which has rocked the sport in recent years. It is a common sight in the women’s game when clubs and countries are forced to announce that their biggest stars will be out for months on end. Williamson ruptured her ACL – or anterior cruciate ligament – in April, and will miss the World Cup as a result. Other stars to miss the tournament are England’s Beth Mead and the Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema, who both suffered the injury in November. Canada's Janine Beckie and the USA’s Catarina Macario are in the same boat. The issue also blighted the Euros last summer, as Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas missed the tournament after rupturing her ACL days before the opening game. Northern Ireland’s Simone Magill was also ruled out, along with France striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who had been one of the favourites to win the Euro 2022 Golden Boot. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But what is this injury, and why are so many women’s footballers getting it? A recurring problem The ACL is a small band of connective tissue in the centre of the knee. It can tear during routine activities like jumping. Any athlete that gets it faces surgery followed by six-to-12 months of rehab. Men also sustain ACL injuries – the likes of Virgil Van Dyke and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are high-profile examples in recent years – but it is more prominent in the women’s game. Speaking to Sky Sports last year, female health specialist Dr Emma Ross said: “We know female athletes are up to six times more likely to have a non-contact ACL injury than their male counterparts.” “In sport and exercise science research, only about 6 per cent of the studies are done exclusively on females – meaning they study things that are happening to the female body – so we don't have a lot of research on female athletes. “But what we do know about the menstrual cycle and injury is that the changing hormones across the cycle can impact the physiology and biomechanics of the body. “For example, when oestrogen is elevated in the menstrual cycle, and that happens in about the second week, it can affect the stability of joints. It can interfere with the collagen in our joints and it can create looser, more lax joints. A loose joint is therefore less stable and more inclined to injury. “So we do have some information about loose joints, but what we don't have is the end step of whether that really does increase the risk for injury in female athletes.” ‘Please no more’ Meanwhile, the workload for elite women’s footballers has grown because of the spiralling popularity of the game. Top players can play up to 44 matches a year, while three out of every four summers there is a major tournament, whether it is the Olympics, Euros or World Cup. The game has grown more professional in lockstep with the ever-busier schedules in recent years, with more Premier League clubs than ever pouring significant cash into their women’s teams. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur spent a combined £33m on running their women’s football teams in the year to July 2022. Nonetheless, it remains lightyears behind the men’s game in terms of funding. The teams paid £186m to agents for men’s team transfers in the same season, according to the Telegraph. There are other factors at play too – women’s feet are significantly different from men’s in shape and size, and experts are concerned that ill-fitting boots could be contributing to the wave of injuries. Sports rehabilitation expert Dr Katrine Okholm Kryger told Sky Sports that “we know that women have a two to five times higher risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries”, which affect the knee. Many of the major manufacturers are developing women's specific boots which should be available for the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023, but Dr Okholm Kryger said the lack of available football boots is a general concern. She said she hopes to start a discussion and “kindly nudge manufacturers and research towards the need to pay more attention in this area”. Until they listen, the problem could continue depriving women’s football of its biggest stars. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Jurrien Timber has joined the club he “loves” after the Netherlands defender completed a £38.5million move to Arsenal. The 22-year-old joins from Ajax on what the PA news agency understands is a five-year contract. He becomes Arsenal’s second summer signing and joins Kai Havertz in moving to the Emirates Stadium. Timber has 15 senior international caps and is believed to have been signed predominantly to play at right-back for Mikel Arteta’s side. “I just love the club,” he told arsenal.com upon signing for the Gunners. “It was because of my brothers. They were always Arsenal fans, and I just loved seeing Arsenal play. They had big players, the way they played, the style. “I had this from a young age, but my brothers kind of put that in me. I liked watching Robin Van Persie of course, and Thierry Henry. They were my favourite players.” It was because of my brothers. They were always Arsenal fans, and I just loved seeing Arsenal play Jurrien Timber Timber has been a long-term target for Arsenal, with his ability on the ball and his pressing already aligned with what Arteta is aiming to achieve. “I think that I’m lucky to say that I can play as a central defender, as a right full-back, sometimes even on the midfield,” he added. “So I think that’s a good thing and I need to keep that. I just like the way Arsenal play, is a bit similar to Ajax’s style and I like to play from the back. I can see a lot of similarities, especially in the way Arsenal and Ajax want to play. “I’m really excited, especially now I’m here. Everyone is so nice and you can see it’s a big club. I’m excited to play for this beautiful club, and I can’t wait to start, and to see the fans obviously in the stadium.” Timber has two Eredivisie titles to his name and was part of the Dutch side that won the European Under-17 title in 2018. He played under Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag at Ajax and had been linked with a reunion last summer before putting pen to paper at the Emirates Stadium. Timber will now travel with the rest of the Arsenal squad for their pre-season fixtures in the United States. The team depart on Sunday but it remains to be seen if Declan Rice will be part of the initial party as his transfer from West Ham has yet to be completed. The Hammers skipper is set for a £105million move across the capital but he has only just returned from holiday to complete the formalities.

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An amazing video has demonstrated that football is always the “beautiful game” regardless of which gender happens to be playing it. With the FIFA Women's World Cup fast approaching, France’s team sponsor has gone above and beyond to show its support for women’s football while making a point about sexism in the sport. Phone company Orange has partnered with advertising company Marcel to produce a video that combats people’s prejudice against women’s football, particularly in comparison to men’s football. Ahead of the international competition, the video cleverly used visual effects technology to change segments of play by the French women’s national team and make it appear as if it is being played by the French men’s team. The video cleverly changed the appearance of female players, such as Estelle Cascarino and Sakina Karchaoui, to make them appear as if their actions were performed by high-profile men’s players, like Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The clips taken from the French women’s matches featured amazing pieces of footwork, incredible headers and stunning free-kicks, all of which were made to appear as though it was the men’s team. The final part of the 2-minute video revealed the original clips, showing that these amazing feats had actually been done by women all along. The video has been widely praised online, with some left amused by how it might rattle the sexists. One person wrote: “This is brilliant, simply brilliant! Can't wait for #FIFAWWC.” Someone else: “Wow. People will always see what they choose to see - make sure you just see the football.” “This is just so smart and impactful,” someone else commented. Another argued: “How fuming are the sexists going to be at this.” The Women’s World Cup starts on Thursday 20 July and is being held in the Oceanic regions of Australia and New Zealand. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Speculation surrounding the future of Liverpool midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho has not yet translated into actual bids for the players. The interest in Henderson, in particular, from Al Ettifaq – managed by former team-mate Steven Gerrard – has resulted in claims the 33-year-old has already decided to accept a deal worth a reported £700,000 per week. However, Liverpool will not allow their captain, who has two years remaining on his contract, to leave for free despite suggestions on the contrary emanating from the Middle East. The £20million Al Hilal spent on Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, 32, this summer is seen as a more realistic benchmark. Fabinho is being linked with a move to Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad, one of four Saudi Arabian clubs owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund, who are reportedly willing to pay £40m for a player who turns 30 in October. But it is understood so far there has been no offer for him either and with the squad due to depart for their pre-season camp in Germany on Saturday both players are expected to travel having returned to training earlier this week. Liverpool’s midfield is undergoing a revamp this summer, with the experienced James Milner joining Brighton and the contracts of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita expiring. They have been replaced by Argentina’s World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister, aged 24, and 22-year-old Hungary captain Dominik Szobozslai for a combined £95m. That may mean reduced playing time for Henderson, who has lifted every elite trophy during his captaincy of the club, but he remains an integral part of the dressing room. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

England fast bowler Ollie Robinson has declared his availability for the fourth Ashes test despite getting injured in the team’s win over Australia in the third match of the series last week