🌏 🏆 Best XI of the Women’s World Cup Group Stage | OneFootball

A day without Women’s World Cup action? Don’t worry, we still have you covered with a team of the Group Stage.

GK: Rebecca Spencer (Jamaica)

France, Panama, Brazil. None of them could get by Spencer, who is still yet to concede a goal as she heads into the knockout rounds with Jamaica. Only one goalkeeper — Costa Rica’s Daniela Solera — has made more saves at the tournament so far but she conceded eight in the process.

RB: CJ Bott (New Zealand)

Defensively excellent in big tests, Bott was strong and reliable in what is often an overlooked position. Tenacious in the tackle and involved in New Zealand’s historic winner against Norway, she seals our right-back spot.

CB: Amanda Ilestedt (Sweden)

Ilestedt has been defensively solid for Sweden, bar one deflection that led to a goal for South Africa, but it’s the other end where she has made a real splash, scoring three times from corners.

CB: Dominique Janssen (Netherlands)

Cool, calm, excellent with and without the ball, Janssen is the ultimate modern centre-back and has been at her understated best throughout the group stage.

LB: Jun Endō (Japan)

Playing as a wingback with Japan’s back three, Endō has done her defensive duties diligently and shone with the licence to get forward, making her mark with a goal and two assists.

CM: Georgia Stanway (England)

Yui Hasegawa was a shoe-in in midfield but she did only came on at 3-0 in the incredible 4-0 win over Spain … which makes it a bit trickier to pick her. She has been a standout but so has Stanway, who can provide a goal threat for England, offer some bite in midfield, and has real quality on the ball. She has done excellently so far in her box-to-box role so far and has had even more on her shoulders since Keira Walsh’s injury.

CM: Lindsey Horan (USA)

Another all-action midfielder, the USA co-captain offers more goals from the centre of the park, netting against Vietnam and the Netherlands when she wasn’t snapping into tackles.

RM: Hinata Miyazawa (Japan)

Four goals and an assist in 166 minutes of football, not bad. Miyazawa was excellent against Zambia but it was Spain that were truly left mesmerised by her as she blew them away with her technique, anticipation, and decision-making on the break.

AM: Lauren James (England)

Talk about an impact. Lauren James didn’t start England’s opener but has three goals and three assists (and another goal disallowed) in the two matches since. James was very good against Denmark but she dominated against China. Playing with freedom, she looks like the most dangerous player at the tournament for now.

LM: Linda Caicedo (Colombia)

Caicedo scored from range, helped by a goalkeeping error, against South Korea, who she tormented down the left. But it was against Germany where a superb shuffle inside the box and perfect curling finish really made the world take notice. The Real Madrid winger is just 18 but arrived Down Under with massive expectations and has delivered.

ST: Alexandra Popp (Germany)

When the ball is swung into the box, nobody is more dangerous than Alex Popp. The Germany captain scored four times — three headers — as she netted in all three group games. Germany suffered an early exit but Popp was the standout striker of the tournament’s first stage.