When: Friday at 07:00
Where: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
TV/radio: TV6/Viaplay/P4 Radiosporten
+ The Philippines women’s national team player
In the Philippine World Cup squad there are two women’s Swedish players; Jessika Cowart, 23, and Katrina Guillou, 29. Cowart joined IFK Kalmar at the beginning of the year after a move from Serbian side Spartak Subotica. Guillou plays everyday in Piteå IF and is noted for two goals in 15 games played during the season. Both Cowart and Guillou were in the Philippines squad when the team reached a semi-final in the 2022 Asian Championships, thereby qualifying for the World Cup. It is the first time a senior national team from the Philippines has qualified for a World Cup final.
+ WC’s Instagram queen
With her 13.7 million followers, Swiss Alisha Lehmann, who plays everyday at Aston Villa, is the female soccer player in the world with the most followers on Instagram. American national team player Alex Morgan takes second place with his 10.1 million followers. Lehmann has also overtaken Roger Federer in followers, making her the most popular Swiss athlete on Instagram.
— Of course I have many followers, but I never dreamed of having it. I was just playing and sharing my life. It just happened like this, said the Instagram queen in an interview with Sky.
What: Spain v Costa Rica, Group C
When: Friday at 09.30
Where: Sky Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand.
TV/radio: TV6/Viaplay/P4 Radiosporten
+ Spanish stars nob the WC
At the end of last year, 15 Spanish national team players wrote an open letter to the federation expressing their dissatisfaction with the federation captain Jorge Vilda. The players threatened to boycott the national team if change did not happen. The association responded by poking all the players. Some star players, such as Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey, have broken the boycott and are in the WC squad. However, the Barcelona trio Patri Guijarro, Mapi León and Sandra Paños are still missing.
+ Historic agreement for Costa Rica
During the World Cup preparations, Costa Rica’s players’ union negotiated a historic collective agreement for the women’s national team. This is to ensure equal conditions for the country’s men’s and women’s players. It is the first time such an agreement has been signed for a Latin American women’s national team.
What: USA-Vietnam, Group E
When: Saturday at 03.00
Where: Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand.
TV/radio: TV6/Viaplay/P4 Radiosporten
+ The superstar retires after the WC
Ahead of the World Cup, USA star player Megan Rapinoe, 38, announced that she will retire when the club season ends this fall. The striker, a regular with the American WSL team Reign from Seattle, made his national team debut in 2006 and was a key player in 2019 when the USA defended the World Cup gold from 2015. Rapinoe also has an Olympic gold and an Olympic bronze on her track record.
+ One of eight to make WC debut
Vietnam is one of eight nations making their World Cup debuts in this summer’s championships. The country qualified for the World Cup after knocking out Thailand and Taiwan in a playoff. The Vietnam women’s national team was formed as late as 1990 and the team played its first official international match seven years later. Since then, the country has achieved great success and is ranked 32 in the world.