The ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup plays out on Australasian soil this summer, as 32 nations from six different confederations lock horns in Australia and New Zealand.

The Lionesses’ will be hoping to clinch international football’s greatest prize for the very first time, having emerged triumphant in last year’s delayed European Championships.

Coming in Hot

England is well-fancied in the Women’s World Cup betting markets, with Sarina Wiegman’s side priced at odds of 7/2 to win the tournament. Although no Everton players are currently included in the England squad, a decent handful of Toffees are heading to the tournament with their respective international sides.

We cast a glance at the Blues players who will be representing their country Down Under, as the host nations prepare for what promises to be the highest-attended Women’s World Cup since the inception of the competition.

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Courtenay Brosnan – Republic of Ireland

Goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan has settled well on Merseyside following her switch from fellow Women’s Super League outfit West Ham United in May 2021. The 27-year-old stopper made a crucial contribution in her country’s World Cup play-off victory over Scotland last October, denying Real Madrid midfielder Caroline Weir from the penalty spot. The save was pivotal in helping Ireland qualify for the first major tournament in their history.

Katrine Veje – Denmark 

The experienced full-back has over 140 international caps to her name and was part of the Danish squad that finished runners-up at the 2017 European Championships in the Netherlands. Veje, who made her international debut in 2009, will be joined by fellow Evertonians Karen Holmgaard and Nicole Sørensen in Lars Søndergaard’s squad.

Talented midfielder Holmgaard, who arrived at Walton Hall Park with her twin sister Sara from German heavyweights Turbine Potsdam last summer, represented Denmark at various youth levels before breaking into the senior squad in 2019.

Nicole Sørensen returned to action last December following a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and notched two goals and four assists for the Toffees in the second half of the season.

Nathalie Björn - Sweden

Another representative of Everton’s sizeable Scandinavian contingent, Nathalie Björn has been an important figure for her national side in recent years. She helped Sweden claim a superb third-place finish at the last World Cup, and take silver at the Tokyo Olympics. The former Rosengård defender also won the UEFA European Women’s Under-19 Championships with her country in 2015.

Clare Wheeler – Australia   

After impressing on an initial loan spell from Danish outfit Fortuna Hjørring, Clare Wheeler signed permanently for the Toffees in January. As a result, the determined midfielder heads back to her native homeland in high spirits. The Matilda's have assumed the role of dark horses, priced at 10/1 to lift the World Cup on home soil.

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Katja Snoeijs - Netherlands

Dutch forward Katja Snoeijs has contributed well in her first campaign with the Blues, finding the net on seven occasions and always putting in a shift for the cause.

The Netherlands travel to the tournament without star striker Vivianne Miedema, who boasts a remarkable record of 95 goals in 115 international appearances. As a consequence, Snoeijs will need to burden a considerable level of responsibility this summer.