ATLANTA — It's a tournament that comes around every four years, featuring countries from across the world to compete to win the coveted World Cup. This year, the United States could make global and championship history.
The 2023 women's tournament will feature more teams, well-recognized veterans, and a new location as Australia and New Zealand are the first Oceania continents to host the soccer competition. Themed to be a tournament "Beyond Greatness," Georgia soccer fans can enjoy more games and familiar faces.
Here's what to know about the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Georgians to watch
Despite not having a professional women's soccer team, the Peach State will be well-represented on the pitch.
There are two metro Atlanta locals that will rep the red, white and blue as the U.S. team goes for its third straight FIFA World Cup win.
Kelley O'Hara, Fayetteville
Hailing from Fayetteville, Fayette County, Kelley O'Hara is a U.S. soccer superstar.
She is just 12 players in USWNT to be named to four Women's World Cup Teams and she could make history with the team if they win it all. The Fayetteville native and her cleats became one of less than two dozen players in U.S. history to play 10,000 minutes or more for the USWNT just last year.
O'Hara has been part of the USA's last seven world championship rosters. The defender will be celebrating her 35th birthday during the tournament. With an Olympic gold medal and two World Cup titles under her belt, O'Hara is a winning 11-year veteran on the team.
The soccer superstar has also captured headlines for her patriotism. In the last World Cup, while the team was celebrating its historic win, a U.S. flag fell to the ground and O'Hara scooped it off the floor. Her quick thinking of the sacred symbol earned her even more popularity among soccer fans.
When she's not playing for NJ/NY Gotham FC she loves to surf and enjoys cooking and baking, according to her profile. She is also a big fan of Atlanta sports teams, especially Atlanta United FC.
Emily Sonnett, Marietta
A defender from Marietta, Cobb County, Emily Sonnett is making a reappearance with USWNT.
She debuted in 2015 and earned spots on the last two U.S. Women's World Cup Teams. Sonnett was named to her first Olympic team in 2021 where she played in three matches in Japan.
Sonnett brings international experience to the pitch. Over her career, she's played in Sweden and on loan to Sydney FC in Australia - and will be coming back for the 2023 Cup.
The Marietta native describes herself as a foodie with a particular affinity for coffee and donuts in the morning. She's not on social media, but rather, Yelp to make sure she's eating at the best places.
Think you might have spotted her in Georgia? Probably not. Her twin sister played soccer at the University of Georgia though, so there's a chance you've seen Emma. She now runs a creative studio in Atlanta.
When to watch Team USA
The U.S. is in Group E with a game planned for each week through Aug. 1.
It's the first stage, but the returning champs are expected to come in strong for a three-peat for a third consecutive championship.
Here's the United States' schedule in group stage play:
- July 21, Friday vs. Vietnam | 9 p.m. EST
- July 26, Wednesday vs. Netherlands | 9 p.m. EST
- Aug. 1, Tuesday vs. Portugal | 3 a.m. EST
How long is the World Cup
The 2023 FIFA World Cup will take over Australia and New Zealand from July 20 through Aug. 20. The U.S. won the last two World Cups, in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
The 2023 FIFA World Cup is the first women's tournament to feature 32, up from 2019's 24 teams.
If the U.S. wins this year's Cup, it will make history as the first team to win back-to-back-to-back championships.
More than a tournament
The conversation about women's sports has gained visibility through the years and has already been put front and center with France's ad for the 2023 World Cup. The tournament is another vehicle on a global stage to raise awareness about geopolitical issues and equity.
Estimates show that more than 990 million people watched the last World Cup final between the U.S. and the Netherlands across the globe. That's nearly five times of people that saw the 2023 Super Bowl.
Here's why this year's World Cup is more than just a tournament.
Pay raises for Women's World Cup players
After years of criticizing the final payout, FIFA raised the prize pool for the women's tournament more than three times than what was offered in 2019. Though it's not equal to the men's World Cup, advocates say it's a start.
Soccer's governing body agreed last month that a chunk of those funds should be paid straight to the players meaning each one will earn at least $30,000. The amount will increase the further the team progresses into the tournament. The championship-winning team will each get $270,000.
For context, FIFA released a report last year citing that the average salary for female players was $14,000 a year.
There's still a long way to go - the prize money pool for the men's World Cup in Qatar last year was $440 million.
A legend's last World Cup
Megan Rapinoe, a 38-year-old soccer legend, announced on July 8 that she will retire at the end of the NWSL season.
This will be the last tournament of her career.
Beyond the pitch, Rapinoe has become renowned for her activism. She has led much of the conversation about women's team's equal pay and has been involved with the complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for years. She along with 27 other teammates also filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation on the grounds of gender discrimination in 2019.
Rapinoe made headlines for kneeling during the national anthem at an international match in September 2016, saying it was in solidarity with then-professional NFL player Colin Kaepernick.
Time magazine named her one of the most 100 influential people of 2020 and last July, President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
This July, she could add a third World Cup to her trophy shelf.
Rapinoe will be featured in a bench role for the Cup but there's no doubt that the veteran will run onto the field ready to deliver some of the tournament's most memorable moments -- if asked.