Ahead of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, we here at For The Win are previewing some key teams to watch in this tournament. Next up is the Argentina women’s national team. You can see the full list of team previews and read about the USWNT here.
Is this the year Brazil finally breaks through?
For the past decade or so, Brazil – led by the legendary Marta – has often dazzled in the group stages of the World Cup, only to fizzle out before reaching the semifinals. Since finishing as runners-up to Germany in 2007, the Brazilians reached the quarterfinals in 2011 – where it lost to the USWNT in penalties – and the Round of 16 in 2015 and 2019.
Brazil returns to soccer’s biggest stage this summer in Australia and New Zealand. The team is coached by Pia Sundhage, who played in a pair of World Cups, coached the American women to two Olympic Gold Medals and a runner-up finish in 2011, and Sweden to an Olympic silver and a Round of 16 appearance in the 2015 World Cup. Sundhage is the first European to coach the team. Last year, the team won the Copa America and didn’t concede a single goal in the tournament.
Sundhage now guides Brazil in what will be the sixth – and likely final – World Cup for 37-year-old Marta. The hope is that the team sends her off with some hardware.
Let’s get to know the team a bit better.
World Cup team previews: Get to know 10 of the 2023 contenders (including USWNT, of course)