Women's Soccer

On the surface there's only one battle at the 2023 World Cup — the battle to see who lifts the trophy at Stadium Australia in Sydney on August 20. But we all know there are various subplots to follow: Golden Boot, Golden Ball, records to be broken and — one that's raging currently — who gets the best custom tailored threads for the event.

The World Cup travel suit has become an emblematic symbol of sport's most prestigious and distinguished event, and a few squads have already set themselves apart in this department. 

The first team to capture my eye was Brazil.

The18 and the National Peanut Board teamed up for a unique way to predict the results of the group stage this summer in Australia and New Zealand.

We called up some furry friends, Ozzy and Finn, to provide their soccer expertise. 

Peanut butter is a safe treat for dogs so long as it doesn’t contain Xylitol. The National Peanut Board has seven different peanut butter recipes for dogs listed on their website if you’re looking for inspiration.

With an expanded 32-team tournament and matches across Australia and New Zealand, the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup (beginning with a crowd of over 100,000 for the Matildas opener against Ireland) is going to be the best in the competition's 32-year history.

The USWNT is favored for a three-peat but that's never been done before, and there will be fierce competition from European champions England, two-time world champs Germany and teams looking to take the next step like France and Spain. 

As the confetti fell and thousands of lightbulbs flashed in Lyon, France, on July 7, 2019, USA’s players climbed the podium to celebrate the fulfillment of a dream that had required years of sacrifice, total commitment and a single-minded belief in accomplishing it all.  

A captivated global audience delighted in what these 23 women had achieved — a historic fourth world title for the U.S. — but the players themselves took a moment to immortalize a staff member whose personal journey mirrored their own with the following chant: “Chef! Chef! Chef!”  

MANCHESTER — Soccer fans are buzzing about a Women's World Cup ad featuring French stars Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann - or so it seems at first.

In Telecom company Orange's campaign aimed at challenging people's perceptions of women's soccer, the two-minute ad appears to show a display of magical soccer skills from diving headers to curling free kicks by Mbappe, Griezmann and others.

Then comes the twist.

Nike went all out on their latest commercial featuring United States women’s national team star Sophia Smith.

Released on Saturday, the 60-second commercial features an unnamed defender being haunted by Smith ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

The ad is a nod to the 2022 film “Smile” which I had to look up when writing this article and boy was that a little too spooky for me.

Thankfully Nike’s ad is a little more family friendly but will still be fear-inducing for defenders going up against Smith in Australia and New Zealand.