19 REASONS TO CATCH THE 2019 FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

1 Miraildes Maciel Mota, more commonly known as Formiga, is a Brazilian midfielder currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain. Aside from Marta, Formiga is arguably the most famous South American footballer, but not because she has won multiple World Player of the Year awards. Instead, Formiga holds a different kind of record: at 41 years of age, she is currently tied with Japan’s Homare Sawa for the most appearances at consecutive World Cups. If Formiga takes the field in France, she will become the only footballer — male or female — to play in an astonishing seven World Cups.

2 Since the inception of the Women’s World Cup in 1991, there have been seven nations that have qualified for every single tournament: Brazil, Germany, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden, and the United States. Coincidentally, no country outside of this pool of seven has ever won the title; winners include USA (three), Germany (two), Norway (one) and Japan (one). Nigeria currently holds the record for the most appearances without a top-four finish. On the other end of the scale, the 2019 World Cup