It's been called the biggest sporting event to hit our shores since the Sydney 2000 Olympics. The world game, played by 32 of the top women's football teams, all vying for glory. It's the first time a football world championships, male or female, has been held across Australia and New Zealand and leading the charge on July 20 will be the Matildas, proudly donning the green and gold against Ireland.
Front and centre in that opening match will be Sam Kerr, captain of the Matildas and its star striker, fresh from a phenomenal UK season at Chelsea where she shot her team to a fourth consecutive Women's Super League title and third successive FA Cup victory. The 29-year-old is our greatest female sporting star on the world stage and on the verge of leading the Matildas to have, what commentators are calling, their Cathy Freeman moment: achieving what's never been done before on our home soil and capturing the heart of our nation in the process.
Ever the calm, confident performer under pressure, Kerr knows her time – both as a preternaturally skilled player and natural-born leader – has come. “It's nice
