8 of the Youngest Players at the Women’s World Cup
The Women’s World Cup will begin on Thursday in Australia/New Zealand. For the first time, the tournament will feature 32 teams. There will be a lot of new faces in the tournament for many teams. We take a look at some of the youngest players that will be representing their countries on the biggest stage of the sport.
Alyssa Thompson (18), United States
Alyssa Thompson has been crowned the future of the USWNT, and for good reason. This year she opted to forgo her college eligibility and joined the NWSL, getting drafted with the first overall pick in the 2023 draft by Angel City FC. For Angel City, she’s got three goals in 13 appearances this season.
She made her first appearance for the USWNT on October 7, 2022, and while she only has three caps, she’ll be a key piece for this USWNT as they look to bring home their fifth World Cup.
Casey Phair (16), South Korea
1️⃣6️⃣ years old & set to appear on the game’s biggest stage!
🇰🇷 Casey Phair#FIFAWWC | #BeyondGreatness | @theKFA pic.twitter.com/OBZJBwfKsL
— #AsianCup2023 (@afcasiancup) July 6, 2023
Phair was born in the United States, but her mother is South Korean, so she is representing South Korea on the international stage. She lives in New Jersey and has played for the Players Development Academy, as well as her high school team.
She’s represented South Korea at the U-17 level but has yet to appear for the senior national team. If she sees playing time in the tournament, she’ll become the first mixed-race player to feature for South Korea, men or women.
Linda Caicedo (18), Colombia
At just 18, Caicedo has already had an impressive career. She began playing professional soccer at 14 with América de Cali, a club in Colombia. Earlier this year, she made the move to Real Madrid, where she made ten appearances, scored two goals, and registered four assists. She made her first appearance for Colombia in 2019, and since then, she’s made 16 appearances, scored four goals, and tallied two assists.
Sheika Scott (16), Costa Rica
After missing out on last year’s World Cup, Costa Rica is in their second-ever Women’s World Cup. Scott has two appearances under her belt for Costa Rica, with her first cap coming in November 2022. The rising star will be hoping to help Costa Rica win their first Women’s World Cup match and advance out of the group stage when they take the field later this month.
Abbie Larkin (18), Ireland
The 2023 Women’s World Cup will be the first World Cup ever for Ireland. Larkin started her international career representing Ireland at the U-17 level before earning her first senior team call-up in 2022. She’s since gone on to make six appearances for Ireland, and she scored her first international goal in a World Cup qualifying match in June 2022. Larkin currently plays professionally in Ireland for the Shamrock Rovers.
Wieke Kaptein (17), Netherlands
At 17, Kaptein became the youngest player ever to be named to the Netherlands World Cup roster. The midfielder has stormed onto the scene, earning her first appearance for the Dutch in April. She made her second appearance during the July friendlies against Belgium. With the Netherlands coming to Australia with a more inexperienced team, it won’t be surprising if we see the youngster play meaningful minutes.
Milly Clegg (17), New Zealand
The striker has represented New Zealand at the U-20 and U-17 World Cups, and now she’ll be representing her country at the senior Women’s World Cup. She earned her first cap for the senior team in April against Iceland. At just 17, Clegg plays professionally for Wellington Phoenix FC in Australia’s A-League. She led that team in goals this season with four.
Giulia Dragoni (16), Italy
Another 16-year-old in the competition is Dragoni, who will be representing Italy. Dragoni just recently earned her first cap for the senior team at the beginning of the month in a friendly against Morocco. The youngster already made history in her career when she made the move to join Barcelona on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
Featured image via Getty Images
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