The United States team heads to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as favourites to claim the women’s football gold.
That is hardly surprising given their four wins in the eight Olym since the sport was added to the roster of events.
World champions Spain and hosts France are hot on their heels, but it is hard to rule out Brazil, with arguably the greatest female footballer in history.
The women’s football tournament begins on July 25. Here are our top five players to watch:
⚽ Marta – Brazil
Brazil’s Marta during the warm-up at FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup [File: Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
Marta Vieira da Silva, simply known as Marta, is arguably the greatest female footballer in history with six FIFA Player of the Year awards to her name.
The 38-year-old has yet to win a major global trophy, having won silver at the 2004 and 2008 Olym while also finishing on the losing side in the 2007 World Cup to Germany.
It is an oddity that Brazil, who have won eight of the nine Copa Americas since its inauguration in 1991, have failed to transfer their continental dominance onto the world stage.
Indeed, Marta holds the record for the most goals (17) scored at either men’s or women’s World Cups.
The striker, who plays for Orlando Pirates in the US, has announced this will be her last shot at the Olym.
⚽ Racheal Kundananji – Zambia
Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji in action against Washington Spirit in the NWSL [File: Darren Yamashita/Reuters]
Kundananji will carry the weight of her nation on her shoulders to the Olym – and the expectation associated with being the world’s most expensive female footballer.
The 24-year-old signed for National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team Bay FC in February from Spanish club Madrid CFF for a fee of $788,000.
The striker, who played for Zambia in last year’s Women’s World Cup, has 10 goals in 18 internationals.
In her time with Madrid, she scored 33 goals in 43 Liga F games having joined from Sociedad Deportiva Eibar in 2022.
⚽ Aitana Bonmati – Spain
Aitana Bonmati celebrates scoring their first goal for Barcelona in the Champions League final against Lyon [File: Albert Gea/Reuters]
Bonmati was named the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner after a stellar couple of seasons saw her sweep all before her for club and country.
The 26-year-old, who received her award at a ceremony alongside men’s winner Lionel Messi, helped her side claim the 2023 World Cup in Australia with a 1-0 win against England.
The midfielder won the Golden Ball award as the tournament’s best player. Bonmati scored six goals in as many games, including netting in the final, for Barcelona as they beat Lyon 2-0 last season to claim the Champions League trophy for the second successive year.
⚽ Lindsey Horan – USA
Lindsey Horan will captain the Olym’ most successful women’s side, USA, as they seek their first gold since 2012 [File: Orlando Ramirez/Reuters]
Horan will captain USA, who are by far the most successful team in the short history of women’s football at the Olym.
The North Americans have won four golds, two silvers and one bronze – failing to achieve a medal finish only at the 2016 Games.
The versatile 30-year-old forward was part of the team that lost their semifinal match to Canada at Tokyo 2020 but experienced the podium finish with a 4-3 win against Australia in the bronze medal match.
It made up in some way for the defeat on penalties, in which Horan scored her spot kick, to Sweden four years previous at the quarterfinal stage.
Having previously scored 46 goals in 58 games for Paris Saint-Germain, Horan last year returned to France with Lyon following a seven-year stint in the NWSL with Portland Thorns, where she helped her side to the championship in 2017 and named the league’s Most Valuable Player the following season.
⚽ Mary Fowler – Australia
Australia’s Mary Fowler helped her side to the semifinal of the 2023 FIFA World Cup [File: Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
Fowler’s stock as a rising star shot up at the 2023 World Cup when Australia’s leading performer Sam Kerr was ruled out of two of the early matches at the tournament.
The then 20-year-old was forced to step up in the forward line in place of the national team captain, who leads the line for Chelsea striker in England’s Women’s Super League.
Fowler herself had been recruited by English giants Manchester City in 2022 and was already regarded as one of the brightest young talents in the world.
The Queenslander registered a goal in the group stage, an assist in the round of 16 and scored her sport kick in the penalty shootout win against France in the quarterfinals.
Fowler had been selected for the 2019 World Cup as a 16-year-old but injury prevented her from making an appearance. She did, however, play a significant part in the squad that reached the bronze medal match at the 2020 Games and scored in the 4-3 quarterfinal win against Great Britain.
The Paris Olym 2024 could turn out to be Fowler’s breakout tournament if she leads Australia to their first gold medal.
⚽ Keep up to date:
You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated Paris 2024 Olym tournament page with all the news and features, as well as event build-up and live text commentary on selected football, basketball, tennis and boxing fixtures.
