If the U.S. women’s national team wants to win a third straight World Cup, it will have to do so without several of its top players.
Like so many other teams at the 2023 World Cup, the USWNT has been forced to omit some big names from its roster due to injuries.
USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has a team full of world-class talent to choose from, but the losses his team has suffered will undoubtedly hurt.
These aren’t depth players. They are the team’s top scorer this year, its captain and defensive anchor, and an up-and-coming global star, among others.
There was at least some good news when Andonovski revealed his squad on Wednesday, as Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle — both questionable due to injury — were named to the 23-player roster.
Here are the biggest injury absences for the USWNT at this summer’s World Cup.