The rest of Europe didn’t take notice when Albanian club KF Tirana hauled itself out of relegation trouble before miraculously clinching the title in 2020. For a continent where Champions League glamor and the wealthiest domestic competitions hog the limelight, Albanian football isn’t even an afterthought.

But on this occasion, Tirana’s climb up the Kategoria Superiore table captured the attention of millions outside Europe. Africa was watching.

“I didn’t follow the directive of the owner of the team, or the president or the directors, because they have been doing it the wrong way – and that is why the team didn’t win the league for 11 years,” former Nigerian international Ndubuisi Egbo told theScore about how he became the first African coach to guide a European team to a league title.

“It’s like Frank Sinatra: I did it my way.”

Albania’s most successful club was a mess. In addition to the boardroom issues that contributed to Tirana’s prolonged title drought, Egbo found the squad’s “harmony was destroyed because the players were arguing and fighting with each other.” He tried to ignore club politics and address some of its problems in simple ways, like putting players in their correct positions. Most crucially of all, in his debut at the helm, he masterminded Tirana’s first win over archrival Partizani Tirana in almost six years.

It sparked a 17-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Tirana, once sitting eighth in a 10-team league, went on to win their 25th Albanian title, finishing the campaign with a four-point cushion atop the league.

It wasn’t all good news, though: Egbo’s incredible Tirana turnaround came amid a backdrop of racism from opposing supporters. He had a banana thrown at him. He was spat at. He felt people around the country wanted him to fail because he’s Black.

“It’s what motivates me,” Egbo said about racism he experienced firsthand.

Egbo’s played and coached in Albania. The former goalkeeper, who experienced two Africa Cup of Nations campaigns with Nigeria, became an Albanian citizen in 2014 and speaks the language fluently.

“Even though I’m Albanian by citizenship, still they will always see you as a foreigner,” Egbo said.

Egbo refused to be cowed by the racists, and won. He’s a trailblazer: the first African coach to win a domestic title in Europe, and the first from the continent to qualify for any European competition. Many African and Black coaches called him after his achievements in Albania. He showed them what was possible.

‘A lack of trust’

Egbo’s feat came in 2020, over 130 years after African footballers began making an impression in Europe. A group of African-born stars, headlined by proud Mozambique native Eusebio, famously helped Benfica win the European Cup twice in the early 1960s. Why did it take African coaches so long to follow in the players’ footsteps?

Another rather brutal caveat is that Egbo won a title in what is effectively Europe’s football wilderness. But it’s no surprise the breakthrough needed to happen in a country like Albania, well beyond the continent’s top competitions. Patrick Vieira, the Senegal-born World Cup winner with France, held the greatest coaching job in Europe’s top five leagues of anybody hailing from an independent African nation. Vieira oversaw Crystal Palace for 20 months until he was sacked in March – and the English club certainly isn’t a giant despite its longstanding Premier League status.

Oluwashina Okeleji, a Nigerian journalist for BBC Sport, understands and feels the frustrations of African managers not getting top jobs in Europe, but he thinks someone from the continent will land one soon.

“Gradually, African coaches are punching,” he told theScore.

Okeleji picks out Walid Regragui and Aliou Cisse as coaches he believes are nearing big European breaks. Regragui won two league titles in Morocco: the Moroccan Throne Cup, Qatar’s first division; and the African Champions League. He then moved into international management, where he made Morocco the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal at Qatar 2022. Cisse’s guided Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations glory and earned qualification to back-to-back World Cups; his side reached the knockout rounds in Qatar despite the absence of star player Sadio Mane.

Serial trophy winner Pitso Mosimane is another head coach whose achievements should place him among managerial candidates of clubs in Europe’s top five leagues, but there’s little to indicate that’s the case. The South African tactician continues to discuss the lack of African managers in Europe since he’s taken over clubs in the Middle East.

“I don’t know what our future will be. Europe is Europe, man – it’s not how good you are. I’ve got all these European Pro Licence coaches here in Saudi and we’re beating them every day,” Mosimane said in a Radio 2000 interview in May. “Why can’t we get a chance?”

Mosimane ended a turbulent period for Mamelodi Sundowns before igniting the most prolific spell in club history with five South African titles, four domestic cups, and its first and only African Champions League triumph. He then tested himself with a move to Egypt’s Al Ahly in 2020, where he won a league and cup double, and hoisted the Champions League trophy twice in three years. More recently, he guided Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli to promotion in his single season in charge before he took over at Al Wahda in the United Arab Emirates in June.

It’s an impressive resume – and just one example of many managers who’ve flourished in African club football (and in Mosimane’s case, even further afield). But Europe’s focus appears to be elsewhere.

“There’s a lack of trust in African managers. There’s a lack of belief in their ability,” Okeleji said.

“Africans are only good at playing football, they’re not good at managing – (it’s) a stereotype that has been going on for so long,” he added.

In an era where clubs rely heavily on data to find marginal gains on the pitch, fine-tune training methods, and uncover players from around the globe, it’s hard to conceive a reasonable excuse for Europe’s failure to find a gifted coach from the world’s second most-populous continent.

It’s not specifically Africans who are overlooked, either. In England, there’s a talent drain of Black footballers once they finish playing. The Black Footballers Partnership reported in January that Black players made up 43% of Premier League squads and 34% of squads in tiers 2-4 in 2022, and added in March that only 4.4% of manager-related roles in English football were held by Black employees.

Egbo believes the lack of diversity among coaches presents a missed opportunity for English clubs to improve communication with their players.

“If you look at the English Premiership, you find that the number of Black African players who are playing there is very high,” Egbo, now managing Kosovan side Prishtina, said. “And in many teams you still find they’re being coached by European coaches who don’t know anything about African culture; who don’t understand where the player is coming from, who don’t understand what he’s going through, who don’t understand anything about his family upbringing.”

The challenges

A popular suggestion to make European football more representative of society is to introduce something similar to the NFL’s Rooney Rule. The policy was adopted in 2003 and made it mandatory for NFL teams to interview minority candidates for positions. The Rooney Rule has undergone several revisions, but today includes requirements like interviewing at least two external minority candidates for head coaching vacancies, and that a minority and/or female candidate be included in the interview process for senior positions like club president or executive roles.

But Seyi Olofinjana, who made 239 appearances across the top two divisions of English football, doesn’t feel comfortable with a similar policy for soccer.

“I want to get the job because I’m good enough, rather than some system saying some quota of Black or other ethnic minority should give me a job,” he told theScore.

Olofinjana considered leaving football and “going a different route altogether” once he retired from playing. He studied throughout his career, even obtaining a chemical engineering degree before he made his life-changing transfer to Europe, but always felt the pull of the sport. He returned to the Wolverhampton Wanderers in a non-playing capacity, and eventually landed his “dream” job of sporting director with Grasshopper Club Zurich. The position fit neatly with his other studies: he also has masters degrees in project management and sporting directorship, and carries UEFA’s top coaching qualifications.

The ex-midfielder, a member of Nigeria’s squad for three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, offers a unique perspective through his year with the Swiss giants. He has empathy for fellow Africans trying and struggling to get into the European game, but also understands some of the barriers preventing this rare leap. He recognizes the huge pool of coaches available in each European country and across its borders, and he’s wary of the “very, very short” amount of time coaches are given to adapt in a results-based business.

And when discussing Africans’ oft-unsuccessful efforts to move north, it’s no surprise that someone with Olofinjana’s education is mindful of the coaching qualifications required to manage in Europe.

“People always think it’s racism or what have you – some element of it is that. But I see it both ways,” Olofinjana explained. “It’s a lack of trust on the part of the owners, probably a lack of acceptance of who we are as Africans. But on the other side, for some it’s a lack of education on the part of some African coaches.”

There are obvious hints that African coaching certifications – and those issued by non-UEFA confederations – aren’t deemed as valuable as their European equivalents.

A head coach in the African Champions League must hold an “A” license – the top coaching qualification available from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) – or the equivalent top-level coaching certification issued by FIFA’s five other confederations. For the European Champions League, only UEFA coaching badges are accepted.

CAF ensuring its coaching courses and qualifications are of equal value to UEFA, and for this to then be reflected in the coaching regulations for Europe’s leading competitions, could open doors for African coaches.

But that point is moot if they aren’t even considered for roles in the first place. Michael Osei served as an assistant coach for the Under-23 teams of Germany’s Kickers Offenbach and FSV Frankfurt after spending a significant portion of his playing career in the country. Across the two different jobs, Osei helped the teams win three lower-league titles between 2008-2010. However, when a promotion to one of the clubs’ senior teams – which were both competing in Germany’s second tier – wasn’t forthcoming, the former Ghanaian international decided to return home.

“I didn’t get the opportunity. It wasn’t easy for a Black coach to get the opportunity to coach (in the) Bundesliga,” Osei recalled. “That’s why I switched to come back to Ghana to continue on my coaching career.”

Now in charge of Bibiani Gold Stars in the Ghana Premier League, Osei observes another major obstacle for African coaches wanting to obtain UEFA badges: cost. To attain the four UEFA coaching qualifications up to and including the coveted Pro Licence with the English Football Association, it would cost around $18,300 (£14,995).

The average monthly wage for head coaches in the Ghana Premier League is less than $1,000, another boss working in the competition told theScore. So even if a head coach is taking home $1,000 each month, the UEFA coaching qualifications cost the equivalent of over 18 months’ salary. That considerable cost is augmented by travel, accommodation, and other daily expenses. Studying also takes coaches away from their main source of income.

The backroom positions that Otto Addo and Gerald Asamoah, also Ghanaian, hold at Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke are among the reasons Osei has hope that things will change. However, he estimates it will be another 10-15 years before an African head coach is hired by a prestigious European club.

“We have to believe it,” Osei said.

After a thrilling month of action, we review the 20 most unforgettable moments from a record-breaking Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand’s emotional win

The opening match of the tournament was a sign of things to come. On an emotional day in New Zealand, the co-host opened the competition with an upset victory over perennial powerhouse Norway, giving the Football Ferns their first-ever World Cup win. Captain Ali Riley, tears of joy streaming down her face, delivered a raw and moving post-match interview following the unexpected triumph. “We had a clear goal that we wanted to inspire young girls, young people around this country and around the world,” she said. “And I really think we did that tonight. Anything is possible!” Indeed.

Record crowd for Australia’s opener

This World Cup, the first edition with 32 competing nations, has truly felt like a transformational moment for women’s soccer. It was evident right from the beginning, too, when 75,784 zealous fans packed Stadium Australia to watch the Matildas begin their tournament with a 1-0 win over Ireland despite the injury-induced absence of superstar and tournament poster athlete Sam Kerr. The event has smashed ticket sale and attendance records every step of the way as interest and enthusiasm continues to explode, with Aussies, in particular, turning out in droves to watch the matches.

Teammates, foes, friends

Club teammates Lindsey Horan and Danielle van de Donk became adversaries when the United States and the Netherlands locked horns for an absorbing group-stage encounter, as the feisty midfielders exchanged words after a heavy tackle from the Dutch star left the American captain incensed. After the heated conversation, Horan, clearly fired up, immediately scored with a thunderous header. It was a captivating sequence. All was forgiven after the contest, of course, as Horan and Van de Donk hugged it out, laughed about the whole thing, and grabbed a selfie to commemorate the occasion.

Caicedo, Colombia take down Germany

Linda Caicedo is, quite simply, one of the most enthralling footballers to watch on the planet. The Colombian phenom, 18, arrived at the World Cup with the pressure of leading a burgeoning side to new heights. She delivered. Caicedo, a cancer survivor who’s been open about her desire to inspire others through football, took the event by storm with her trickery, explosiveness, and ability to break a match open at any time. The joy she plays with was infectious, and it was punctuated when she scored one of the best goals of the tournament in Colombia’s 2-1 upset win over Germany in the group stage.

Australia 4, Canada 0

Australia and Canada entered their final match of the group stage with elimination a very real possibility. Only the Aussies seemed to understand the weight of the task at hand. The co-hosts scored three times in the opening hour to surge into an unassailable lead and scored a fourth from the penalty spot to condemn Canada to its earliest exit from the Women’s World Cup since 2011. The loss all but ended Christine Sinclair’s last shot at a World Cup title and any momentum the program had after winning gold at the Tokyo Olympics.

Saved by the post

The United States came this close to suffering what would’ve been an inconceivable – and first-ever – exit in the opening round of the World Cup. Portugal’s Ana Capeta struck the post in second-half stoppage time of the teams’ group-stage finale, coming within inches of a shocking goal that would’ve reverberated throughout world soccer, especially for the U.S. fans who would’ve awoken to the surprise after the overnight kickoff. “I’ll be honest with you, when Ana (shot), I was thinking it will be a goal,” Portugal coach Francisco Neto said. Literal inches away.

South Africa at the buzzer!

This was the World Cup of upsets. South Africa’s last-second victory to eliminate Italy – and give the African nation its first-ever Women’s World Cup triumph – was dramatic as any. Thembi Kgatlana, who revealed that she lost three family members prior to South Africa’s must-win group-stage finale, scored an emotional decider in the 92nd minute for the Banyana Banyana. “I could have gone home, but I chose to stay with my girls because that’s how much it means,” she explained. In the face of adversity, Kgatlana persevered to deliver an unforgettable moment for her team and country.

Jamaica sends Brazil home

Before holding France to a goalless draw and eliminating Brazil from knockout-round contention, Jamaica wasn’t even sure it would have enough money to make the trip to Australia and New Zealand. Players said the soccer federation hadn’t paid them the money their contracts had guaranteed them, and they lost valuable training time as a result of budget cuts. A pair of GoFundMe fundraisers helped raise nearly $100,000, the proceeds of which helped facilitate Jamaica’s historic World Cup run, which culminated in a draw with Brazil that sent one of the most celebrated soccer nations home.

Marta passes the torch

When Marta began her career in 2003, she said she didn’t have a “female idol.” So she set out to become one herself. Though she had little impact in her sixth and final World Cup, which ended in massive disappointment for a national team so used to success, the Brazilian great left the stage knowing she helped the next generation of players come through. “The Brazilian people ask for renewal, and there is renewal,” Marta said. “The only old one is me. Most of (my teammates) are young girls with enormous talent. It’s just the beginning for them. I end here, but they continue.”

Morocco soars, Germany crashes out

Entering the tournament as the second-lowest-ranked team, Morocco advanced to the knockout stage in the most incredible circumstances. After losing 6-0 to Germany in the opening round of the group stage, Morocco strung together back-to-back 1-0 wins over South Korea and Colombia to eliminate the Germans from the World Cup. Morocco’s breakthrough in the women’s game mirrored the men’s at the World Cup in Qatar, where, just eight months earlier, the North Africans became the first Arab nation to reach the semifinals. Meanwhile, Germany, a two-time Women’s World Cup winner, followed the men by exiting the tournament in the group stage.

Lauren James’ breakout game

England’s World Cup got off to an inauspicious start with a pair of solid but unspectacular 1-0 wins over Haiti and Denmark, respectively. Questions were being asked about the Lionesses’ ability to score goals and make a deep run. Who would step up with so many key players out injured? Enter Lauren James. The Chelsea star lit up the tournament and got England firing again with two goals and three assists in a breathtaking performance against China. James, 21, became the youngest player in World Cup history – men’s or women’s – to have five goal involvements in a single match.

Alozie unfazed by James’ red card

James lost her cool just as she was becoming a household name in England. As the Lionesses’ last-16 encounter with Nigeria ticked toward extra time, the younger sister of Chelsea defender Reece James stepped on Michelle Alozie’s backside, earning her a red card and a two-match suspension. The incident immediately brought to mind David Beckham’s moment of madness during the 1998 World Cup, when the star midfielder was red-carded for kicking out at Diego Simeone. But Alozie handled it all with grace. There were no tantrums on the field, only memes, and she even posted a tweet in James’ defense.

USWNT ousted in dramatic fashion

Megan Rapinoe called it a “sick joke.” Julie Ertz said, “Penalties are the worst.” Alyssa Naeher couldn’t believe the U.S. had “just lost the World Cup by a millimeter.” But it was all true. After playing out a goalless draw with Sweden in the round of 16, the United States fell 5-4 in the ensuing shootout. Rapinoe skied her attempt and could only watch as Lina Hurtig’s match-winning penalty kick crossed the goal line by the width of a hair. Though Naeher saved Hurtig’s initial shot, the rebound bounced up, over, and into the net. Just like that, the U.S.’s hopes of a three-peat vanished.

Epic Australia-France shootout

Cortnee Vine converted the last of the 21 spot-kicks required to decide the epic quarterfinal shootout between Australia and France. By then, the contest had stretched to more than three hours. What it lacked in goals over 120 minutes of play, it more than made up for in drama in the penalties that followed. In a risky move, Solene Durand, France’s backup ‘keeper, replaced her country’s No. 1 shot-stopper as penalties loomed. Australia’s Mackenzie Arnold saved back-to-back attempts after being caught off her line when she saved the first. Then Arnold missed a spot-kick of her own. But Australia prevailed.

‘Lord of the Rings’ fan goes viral

Australia’s World Cup run captivated the entire nation. Aussies watched in record numbers throughout the tournament, both live in the various stadiums and on television. Even in the air while traveling, everyone was tuning in to see the Matildas. Well, almost everyone. The best moment of unintentional comedy from the World Cup came in the form of a viral video showing a full flight of passengers glued to their screens during Australia’s aforementioned victory over France. A lone traveler, blissfully unaware of the stressful shootout, was enjoying “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,” while everyone else in the clip watched Vine convert the winning penalty.

Exit … stage left

Sweden coach Peter Gerhardsson provided some respite from the intensity and tension of the World Cup when, after concluding his press conference prior to the Swedes’ semifinal match against Spain, he unwittingly walked into a utility closet before quickly realizing it wasn’t the exit door he was expecting to find. Everyone had a good chuckle, including the coach himself. “If you, as a human being, know everything, it’s not exciting, and that’s why football is so exciting,” a philosophical Gerhardsson told reporters right before the gaffe, according to Steph Yang of The Athletic. No kidding, Peter.

Wild Spain-Sweden finish

For 80 minutes, virtually nothing of note happened. But Spain’s semifinal match against Sweden burst to life with three goals in the final 10 minutes of regular time, with 19-year-old phenom Salma Paralluelo building on her impressive campaign with the opener in the 81st minute. Rebecka Blomqvist responded in the 88th, only for Olga Carmona to hit an absolute banger off the underside of the crossbar 60 seconds later. Carmona’s winner sent Spain to the final, where she’d again score the decisive goal.

Kerr’s stunner lifts a nation

Kerr spent most of the World Cup out injured. But she wouldn’t leave with a whimper. Making her first start of the tournament in Australia’s semifinal loss to England, Kerr scored one of the goals of the tournament, running nearly 40 yards before sending a dipping shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Mary Earps. In one fell swoop, Kerr showcased the dribbling and stone-cold finishing ability that initially made her the odds-on favorite to win the Golden Boot award as the World Cup’s top scorer.

Earps roars after clutch save

Earps’ massive save on Jenni Hermoso’s 70th-minute penalty gave England hope it could get back into the game. “When Mary saved it, I thought, ‘Now we’re going to score a goal and get to 1-1,'” head coach Sarina Wiegman said, according to The Wall Street Journal’s Joshua Robinson. “But we didn’t.” Still, the save was heard around the world. Earps timed her dive perfectly, stopping herself from encroaching by leaving her trailing foot on the goal line. The feisty 30-year-old then unleashed a barrage of expletives at Spain’s joint-top scorer.

Carmona’s World Cup-winning goal

A goal worthy of winning the World Cup. Spain sucked England into its midfield trap, stole possession, and then, in a flash, exploited the space that Lucy Bronze had vacated to score the only goal of a gripping World Cup final. Within seconds of winning the ball back, the slick-passing Spaniards found flying left-back Carmona in stride. The 23-year-old did the rest, picking out the bottom corner with an inch-perfect strike. The picturesque finish gave Spain a lead it wouldn’t relinquish en route to hoisting the trophy for the first time.

With the Women’s World Cup kicking off later this week, we’re sizing up the title contenders. Though the women’s game continues to grow at a rapid rate as worldwide investment in the sport creates more parity, there remains a clearly defined collection of teams that stand above the rest heading into the competition in Australia and New Zealand. All of them are dealing with some kind of adversity, though, creating a truly intriguing field. Any of the traditional heavyweights could realistically hoist the trophy Aug. 20. Here’s how we think the top teams stack up ahead of the tournament.

1. United States ??

FIFA ranking: 1
Odds to win tournament: +250

Until we see otherwise, the two-time defending champion remains the team to beat. The United States, seeking an unprecedented third consecutive title, remains loaded with top-end talent despite untimely injuries to prolific forward Mallory Swanson and team captain Becky Sauerbrunn. Even without the lethal Swanson, Vlatko Andonovski has the luxury of calling upon iconic veteran Alex Morgan, reigning NWSL MVP Sophia Smith, and emerging superstar Trinity Rodman up front. As is always the case with any U.S. coach at a major tournament, how Andonovski sets up his team will be heavily scrutinized. The Americans haven’t looked totally unbeatable in the buildup to the competition, but that’s nothing new, and it’s worked out just fine for them in the past.

2. England ?gbeng

FIFA ranking: 4
Odds to win tournament: +450

Though high-profile injuries have unfortunately hit the entire field in some way heading into the tournament, no team has been decimated quite like the reigning European champion. Manager Sarina Wiegman will be without Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead, forward Fran Kirby, and captain Leah Williamson. There’s an argument to be made that with that trio available, the Lionesses would be the favorite to claim their first Women’s World Cup. England has largely struggled for goals since storming to the Euro title on home soil. But even with the aforementioned absentees, the team, now equipped with a title-winning pedigree that brings an added level of poise in high-pressure matches and situations, is among the very best in the world.

3. Spain ??

FIFA ranking: 6
Odds to win tournament: +550

Spain is perhaps the most difficult team to judge. Though she’s returned to the pitch following her ACL tear last year, superstar Alexia Putellas, the two-time reigning Ballon d’Or winner, is still working her way back to full fitness and form. Meanwhile, there’s serious turmoil in the Spanish camp after a host of players expressed concerns about the culture and working conditions under coach Jorge Vilda. Fifteen of them resigned in September – three were picked for the World Cup – with Barcelona stars Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro among those who’ll skip the tournament. And yet, on talent alone, Spain is in the mix, with midfielder Aitana Bonmati headlining a core of players from the all-conquering Barcelona team that will be present.

4. Germany ??

FIFA ranking: 2
Odds to win tournament: +825

Germany hasn’t reached the Women’s World Cup final since 2007 when it defeated Brazil to win its second consecutive title. For such a historically dominant program, that 16-year gap is an eternity. The Germans, beaten by England in the Euro 2022 final, are looking to end that barren World Cup run and return to the summit of women’s football after being overtaken in recent years by a handful of other European nations. Led by Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, one of the most prominent coaches in the game, the tournament provides a chance for captain and star forward Alexandra Popp to put her injury heartbreak at major tournaments behind her. The decorated Wolfsburg star, 32, missed the Euro ’22 final after sustaining an injury in the warmup.

5. France ??

FIFA ranking: 5
Odds to win tournament: +900

France is the ultimate wild card after a player revolt forced the dismissal of Corinne Diacre in March. The unpopular coach was promptly replaced by Herve Renard, an esteemed and decorated international manager, but one with no experience in the women’s game. His appointment brought Wendie Renard – no relation – back into the fold after the captain, one of the best defenders in women’s soccer history, previously said she’d step back from the national team. That’s an enormous boost for Les Bleues, though it’s tempered by the injury-induced absences of forward Delphine Cascarino and Marie-Antoinette Katoto. There’s a sense that France missed its greatest shot at World Cup glory on home soil in 2019. Can the French flip that script?

6. Canada ??

FIFA ranking: 7
Odds to win tournament: +2500

Another team that’s seen its World Cup preparations overshadowed and complicated by off-field concerns. The Canadian women remain locked in a battle with their incompetent federation to secure equitable pay and infrastructure for the program. The public dispute has distracted from the fact that Canada will return most of the stalwarts that led the nation to Olympic gold in Tokyo just two years ago, including captain Christine Sinclair, the most prolific player in international soccer history. What Canada may lack in comparison to other contenders – a singular game-breaking forward – it makes up for in cohesion and unity, traits not to be overlooked in a tournament setting where togetherness can go a long way toward success.

7. Sweden ??

FIFA ranking: 3
Odds to win tournament: +1600

After finishing third at the 2019 World Cup and then coming within inches of gold in Tokyo, only to fall short in a shootout against Canada, expectations remain high for Sweden, which will be looking to take another step forward under Peter Gerhardsson. Headlined by versatile Barcelona standout Fridolina Rolfo, the Swedes boast plenty of star power, including the likes of Stina Blackstenius, Sofia Jakobsson, and Magdalena Eriksson. Sweden’s history at major tournaments has been one of near misses, and there’s plenty of reason to believe this could be the year that finally changes. The Swedes will need to shake off their ominous pre-tournament form to accomplish that, though, as results leading into the World Cup have been patchy at best.

8. Brazil ??

FIFA ranking: 8
Odds to win tournament: +2500

Not too long ago, Brazil appeared to be in serious danger of losing touch with the established powers. But, buoyed by an influx of exciting young talent and a growing domestic league that’s finally receiving proper attention, a new generation under Pia Sundhage has the Brazilians on the upswing. This team, which went unbeaten en route to winning the 2022 Copa America, looks enthusiastic and energetic after a string of impressive performances and results over the past year. And, of course, epochal star Marta is back for what will likely be her last World Cup dance. Just as Argentina did with Lionel Messi on the men’s side, Brazil would love nothing more than to see the 37-year-old legend carried into the sunset with the nation’s first World Cup title in tow.

9. Australia ??

FIFA ranking: 10
Odds to win tournament: +1200

Just how far can home-field advantage – and arguably the single best player on the planet – carry Australia? The excitement within the country is palpable; the Matildas’ opening match against Ireland is already sold out, according to tournament organizers, with over 80,000 raucous fans set to be in attendance inside Sydney’s Stadium Australia. With the affable Sam Kerr leading the line for the tournament co-host, hopes are high that this summer’s event will be a transcendent moment in Australian football. There are some legitimate concerns about the squad – an overreliance on Kerr to score goals and a backline that’s looked shaky against top-flight opposition chief among them – but that isn’t slowing down the Aussie hype train.

10. Netherlands ??

FIFA ranking: 9
Odds to win tournament: +1600

Andries Jonker has tried to revitalize the Netherlands after the team’s disappointing Euro 2022 showing. The Dutch, who reached the final of the last World Cup, will look much different than the versions we’ve seen in recent major tournaments, with Jonker expected to shift from the nation’s sacred 4-3-3 formation in favor of a system that utilizes the speedy wing-backs in his squad. Midfield maestro Jill Roord can take over matches on her own, too. For the Netherlands to make a deep run, Roord will need to do just that, as the absence of star forward Vivianne Miedema, out with a torn ACL, looms large. So, too, does a group clash with the U.S., which beat the Orange Lionesses in the 2019 final. A second-place finish in Group E would set up a very difficult knockout-stage path.

Honorable mentions: Japan, Norway, Denmark