The best team of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, ft Mary Earps and Aitana Bonmati | OneFootball

The 2023 Women’s World Cup is over, leaving behind memories of incredible goals, shocking results and pure brilliance from numerous individual players.

Following the conclusion of the competition, GiveMeSport has put together the team of the tournament.

Unsurprisingly, four of the 11 players hail from Spain, who defeated England 1-0 to win the country’s first ever Women’s World Cup.

There is plenty of representation from the Lionesses, while players from Sweden, Australia, France and Japan also feature.

We’ve even included a list of substitutes, because picking just 11 of the best players at the tournament is too hard a task.

So without further ado, here’s the team of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The standard of goalkeeping at the 2023 Women’s World Cup was higher than ever, with particular shout outs to Zećira Mušović, Mackenzie Arnold and Daphne van Domselaar.

But it is Mary Earps that makes the best XI after typically brilliant performances for England throughout the entire tournament.

From keeping a clean sheet against an excellent Haiti in the group stage, to saving a penalty in the final, Earps has solidified her status as the best goalkeeper in the world.

Defender: England’s Jess Carter

Jess Carter was playing at her first Women’s World Cup, but it didn’t seem like it. The 25-year-old was calm and composed in England’s back line, even as the team’s formation changed halfway through the tournament.

Carter is brilliant in 1v1 situations, and she deployed this skill to great effect. She was also able to contribute to England’s attacking efforts, providing an assist for Lauren James’s second goal against Denmark.

Defender: Sweden’s Amanda Ilestedt

Amanda Ilestedt finished with the Bronze Ball, impressing in both defence and attack at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The centre-back was able to use her aerial prowess to score three headers during the group stages, before adding a fourth goal to her tally against Japan in the quarter-finals.

Ilestedt also partnered well with Magdalena Eriksson at centre-back to ensure Sweden’s defence remained rock solid.

Defender: England’s Alex Greenwood

If England had won the 2023 Women’s World Cup, there would have been a very good case to award Alex Greenwood the Golden Ball.

The 29-year-old did not start for the Lionesses during Euro 2022, but an injury to captain Leah Williamson meant Greenwood slotted into the centre-back position for her country.

From there, she completed 568 passes – the highest at the tournament – and created 13 chances. It’s fair to say Greenwood was crucial in England’s run to the final.

Spain captain Olga Camorna came through for her country when they needed her most, despite being left out of the team for knockout matches against Switzerland and the Netherlands.

The 23-year-old scored a dramatic winner against Sweden in the semi-finals, before hitting the solitary goal in the final.

Tragically, Carmona discovered her father had passed away before the Women’s World Cup final, describing it as the “best and the worst day of my life”.

Aitana Bonmatí is now a shoo-in for the Ballon d’Or after her performance at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

The 25-year-old received the Golden Ball after scoring three goals and setting up two more, and she was crucial in the heart of the Spanish midfield as the country earned world glory for the first time in history.

Midfielder: Spain’s Teresa Abelleira

While Bonmati earned most of the plaudits, fellow Spanish midfielder Teresa Abelleira was quietly brilliant throughout the tournament.

The 23-year-old created the most chances at the Women’s World Cup with 24, covered an impressive 77 kilometres across the seven matches she played in, and scored during Spain’s 5-0 victory against Zambia.

Abelleira may have flown under the radar at this tournament, but she has an incredibly bright future.

Katrina Gorry was a force to be reckoned with in midfield for the Matildas, helping the co-hosts all the way to the semi-finals.

The 31-year-old made 59 tackles during the Women’s World Cup, significantly more than any other player else at the tournament.

She was also a calming influence on the younger stars in the team, including midfield partner Kyra Cooney-Cross, and scored an excellent penalty in the dramatic quarter-final shoot-out against France.

Right winger: France’s Kadidiatou Diani

While France were unable to progress past the quarter-finals, Kadidiatou Diani finished the tournament with the highest goal creation, scoring four times and setting up three more.

She may have scored a hat-trick against Panama in the group stage, but her best attacking performance came during France’s 4-0 victory against Morocco.

If Diani had been slightly more clinical in the quarter-finals, the Golden Boot would have been hers.

Centre-forward: Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa

It ended up being Hinata Miyazawa who received the 2023 Women’s World Cup Golden Boot, despite Japan’s exit in the quarter-finals.

The 23-year-old was astonishing in the group stage, hitting two goals against Zambia and another two against Spain. Her fifth goal came against Norway in the round of 16.

While Miyazawa’s campaign fizzled out in the quarter-final, her performance at this year’s tournament will be remembered for years to come.

Salma Paralluelo was one of the revelations of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, scoring two crucial goals for Spain in the knockout stages.

The 19-year-old was a nightmare for every defender, completing a tournament-high of 10 successful dribbles as she dazzled opposition with her pace. She was subsequently given the Young Player of the Tournament award.

Paralluelo is likely to be an integral part of the Spanish side for years to come.

Substitutes

Sweden’s Zecira Musovic, Spain’s Ona Batlle, Colombia’s Linda Caicedo, Australia’s Steph Catley, England’s Lauren Hemp, Netherlands’ Jill Roord, Australia’s Caitlin Foord