Trinity Rodman, Melchie Dumornay and the NXGN wonderkids set to light up the 2023 Women's World Cup
This year's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand promises to be the biggest yet. More eyes will be on the tournament than ever before as the game continues to grow, making it an incredible stage for a young player to announce themselves on.
What's particularly exciting this summer is that so many of the best up-and-comers that will be on show are already key players in their national teams.
Four years ago, we saw players like Lena Oberdorf, the women's NXGN 2020 winner, Giulia Gwinn, winner of the Young Player of the Tournament award, and Mallory Swanson, now a star name for the U.S. women's national team, announce themselves to the world.
There are plenty of excellent youngsters who appear primed to follow in their footsteps and shine in the 2023 edition.
So, who should you be keeping an eye on? Let NXGN introduce you to some of the stand-out names, born in 2002 or later…
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Hanna Bennison (Sweden)
The NXGN 2021 winner, Bennison has been an integral member of Sweden's senior national team for a while now.
She made her debut in late 2019, aged 17, and has since been to an Olympic Games and a Euros. She'll complete the set with a World Cup this summer.
The Everton midfielder moved to England from Rosengard in the summer of 2021 and has become a key part of what head coach Brian Sorensen is trying to do. Bennison's next task is to become a regular in her country's starting XI, though she has proven a very important substitute for Peter Gerhardsson.
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Jule Brand (Germany)
After starting the Euros final last year at the age of 19, Brand will follow that up with a trip to her first senior World Cup this summer. In the 12 months between the two milestones, she's only grown as a player.
The winger completed a move to Wolfsburg before the 2022-23 season, and the environment the two-time European champions can provide, with its competitiveness and the influence of so many winners, is only benefiting her.
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Jody Brown (Jamaica)
Brown was only 16 years old when she made her senior international debut and, later that year, she was the youngest player on show at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship.
Still in college, at Florida State University, the young forward has an excellent goalscoring record for her country and has already been to a World Cup, when the Reggae Girlz qualified in 2019. She's now set for another, at the age of 21.
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Esmee Brugts (Netherlands)
A member of the Netherlands' Euro 2022 squad, it was Brugts' goal that actually secured her country's place at this summer's World Cup. Had the teenager not netted in the 93rd minute to beat Iceland in September, the 2019 runners-up would've had to go through further qualifying and might not have made it.
That is a moment that perfectly illustrates the impact the PSV forward has been having on her national team already, and she will not just be a great impact sub in Australia and New Zealand, but also a player competing for a starting berth.
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Linda Caicedo (Colombia)
One of the hottest properties in the women's game right now, Caicedo will head to the World Cup fresh off the back of signing for Real Madrid. It's a transfer that underlines how highly rated this 18-year-old is.
The young forward starred for Colombia's senior, U20 and U17 sides last year, which shows exactly how important she is to her country already. That she was named Player of the Tournament at the senior Copa America tells you of her impact, too.
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Oluwatosin Demehin (Nigeria)
After an excellent U20 Women's World Cup last year, Demehin signed for Reims ahead of the 2022-23 season and has quickly become a regular for the French club, one renowned for how it develops young players.
Having made her senior international debut in the summer of 2021, the defender is also now becoming a fixture in Nigeria's line-up, and will hope to prove she deserves to be a starter at the 2023 Women's World Cup.
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Melchie Dumornay (Haiti)
It was fitting that Dumornay scored the goals that sealed Haiti's place at its first ever Women's World Cup because she is probably the most talented player the country has ever produced.
The NXGN 2022 winner, there is so much hype around the teenager, but it is all justified. She will join eight-time European champions Lyon this summer but, before that, she will be her country's star player in Australia and New Zealand.
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Mary Fowler (Australia)
Co-hosts Australia have an exciting generation of young talent coming through right now - none more gifted than Fowler.
The Manchester City forward went to the 2019 Women's World Cup as a 16-year-old but, having not featured in a game, will make her tournament debut in front of a home crowd this summer.
She made a real impact for the Matildas at the Olympic Games in 2021 and was part of the Asian Cup squad last year, too, meaning this will be her fourth major tournament already. She's only 20 years old.
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Aoba Fujino (Japan)
After playing a key role for Japan as they reached the U20 Women's World Cup final last year, Fujino has been rewarded with a breakthrough into the senior team.
She's been a regular for the Nadeshiko since her debut in October and, with a good mixture of starts in her handful of appearances so far, looks set to be competing for a place in Futoshi Ikeda's line-up this summer, rather than just being part of the squad.
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Evarine Katongo (Zambia)
A member of Zambia's squad for the Olympic Games in 2021 and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022, Evarine Katongo could complete the set with her third senior major tournament this summer.
The young midfielder is a regular for her country now, too. At last year's AFCON, at which Zambia finished third, she started every game and played almost every single minute, only missing the final moments of stoppage time in the group-stage victory over Togo.
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Kathrine Kuhl (Denmark)
Kuhl showed her potential to be a star for Denmark at the Euros last summer where, despite her country's group-stage exit, she was one of their most eye-catching performers.
In January, she left her homeland and joined Arsenal. The club is certain to only help her develop further as she eyes a regular starting role for her country at this summer's World Cup.
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Salma Paralluelo (Spain)
One of very few Barcelona representatives currently available for the national team, though, is Salma Paralluelo. The teenager was actually a surprise inclusion in the squad for last summer's Euros, but had to withdraw through injury.
After breaking through last season at Villarreal, the young forward moved to Catalunya before the 2022-23 season and has shown incredible quality already. She looks a sure bet to be on the plane to Australia and New Zealand.
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Trinity Rodman (United States)
Few players in the game generate the hype and excitement that Trinity Rodman does, with the youngster seeming destined to achieve the greatness that her name is linked to.
It's hard to say any of the U.S. women's national team's forwards are assured of a place on the plane this summer, such is the incredible depth on the roster, but Rodman certainly feels likely to go, with her an insanely talented game-changer.
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Tarciane (Brazil)
Tarciane only made her senior international debut late last year, but she's settled very nicely into this Brazil squad and looks like she could have a place in it come this summer's big event.
A regular with Corinthians, her country's top team, she's recently been linked with a move to Real Madrid, such is the talent she possesses.
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Riola Xhemaili (Switzerland)
The youngest player in Switzerland's Euro 2022 squad, Xhemaili could follow up her first major tournament with her second this year.
The midfielder was a regular starter throughout qualifying and will hope to prove why she deserves more minutes in the build-up to the World Cup, having only made one appearance for her country in England last year.