大象传媒

We can't talk about the Women's World Cup taking place in Australia, without mentioning the Aussie queen of football that is Sam Kerr. The Chelsea forward won her club the FA Cup last month with a superb goal at Wembley Stadium, and you can expect to see plenty more belters (followed by her signature goal celebration of a double cartwheel/backflip that delights the crowd and no doubt sends the medical team into a nervous breakdown) across the tournament.

An instinctive player who reads the game perfectly pretty much every time she steps foot on the pitch, matched with a speed that makes you feel tired just watching her, this home-turf tournament couldn't come at a better time for Kerr. Watch out for her, because blink and she'll have netted yet another blinder.

Much has been said about how many Lionesses from the Euros won't be featuring in the World Cup, due to both an injury plague (with Beth Mead, Fran Kirby and captain Leah Williamson all ruled out) as well as some well-deserved retirements from Ellen White and Jill Scott. It's a valid point, but what’s so great with this England squad is the amount of younger players who are more than ready to step up.

One of the most exciting players is Lauren James. At just 21 years old she's already leant her services to each of the WSL's 'Big Three', playing at Arsenal, Manchester United and now league champions Chelsea, and the Women's World Cup is her first major tournament. Older brother and fellow Chelsea legend Reece James said last year: "I believe she is the best womens footballer in the world, and will be for the next 10 to 15 years." Whereas my brother once said I was a dead ringer for Luka Modric.

Now from a budding younger player to a legend of the game. The title of Highest World Cup Scorer Ever belongs to Brazilian icon Marta, who makes her 6th World Cup appearance this year. She's the first footballer of any gender to have scored at five World Cups and is also Brazil's highest goal scorer with a whopping 115 goals, with Brazilian legend Pele once dubbing her "Pele with skirts".

Comedian Maisie Adam celebrating a goal at a charity match.

But well-intended-yet-slightly-patronising-comments-that-sound-like-something-your-uncle-says-at-Christmas-dinner aside, it would be great to see her score some signature screamers this tournament, as this is almost certainly Marta's last dance on the international stage. At 37 years old, she's edging into veteran territory, and I’ll now leave you to reflect on the fact that in football, a 37-year-old is referred to as a veteran. Come on, get up off the floor.

ALEXANDRA POPP & MELANIE LEOPOLZ, GERMANY

Listen, I'll wang on about the Lionesses' Euros win for as long as I have air in my lungs and someone to wang on about it to (thank you for reading). But it should be noted that the Germany team we faced in that Euros final was minus two players that will feature in this World Cup squad.

Right before the final, we heard the news that German captain Alexandra Popp was unable to play due to injury, but she's back this year. As is midfielder Melanie Leopolz, who didn't take part in the Euros due to taking time off to have her first child. Well this year, she’s back! (Leopolz, not the baby).

KHADIJA 'BUNNY' SHAW, JAMAICA

When we talk about frontrunners or favourites to win the Women's World Cup, the same countries often come up, with punts on footballing nations like France, Germany, Spain and Brazil, and of course the country that's won half of all the Women's World Cups (yes, half!), the USA.

Well I didn't want to pick a player from the favourites to win, I wanted to pick a player from a nation that hasn't exactly ever been a safe bet to win a football tournament – Jamaica. Their all-time top goal scorer, Man City's Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, has managed to rack up 55 international goals in 38 appearances, and was the frontrunner for this season's WSL top goal scorer, before being narrowly pipped to the post by England's Rachel Daly. Jamaica are in a tough group, with France and Brazil keeping them and Panama company, but that's the thing about World Cups, anything can happen.

To hear more of Maisie's musings on the World Cup and women's football in general, you can listen to the whole series of Maisie Adam: The Beautiful Game here.