Blog

With all 32 nations having now performed thrice the group stage of the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup is over, leaving simply 16 knockout-phase clashes to go earlier than a winner is topped.

The World Cup group stage produced a formidable complete of 126 targets scored in 48 matches, with solely two groups failing to search out the online in the course of the opening section: Haiti and Vietnam.

On the different finish of the spectrum, Japan are the top-scoring nation on the event getting into the knockout section and are additionally the one facet to have already reached double figures in Australia and New Zealand, registering 11 targets of their opening three fixtures.

Moreover, Japan star Hinata Miyazawa is main the Golden Boot race on the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup with 4 targets. The 23-year-old midfielder is high of the goal-scoring charts after registering twice in her nation’s opening 5-0 thrashing of Zambia after which repeating the feat with a brace within the 4-0 win over Spain in Japan’s ultimate group stage outing.

Germany captain Alexandra Popp is stage with Miyazawa after scoring her fourth purpose of the event in Friday’s Group H match in opposition to South Korea. The Wolfsburg striker then thought she had scored her fifth to offer her nation a vital 2-1 lead in Friday’s match, solely to have it dominated out by a marginal VAR name. That condemned Germany to a shock group-stage exit, and denied Popp the chance to additional improve her bid for the Golden Boot.

Nevertheless, no fewer than 5 gamers nonetheless energetic on the event have scored three targets. That quintet are all inside hanging distance of equalling Miyazawa and Popp’s tally as we head into the knockout rounds.

– Ladies’s World Cup: Touchdown web page | Schedule | Rosters | Information
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, extra (U.S.)

---

How Golden Boot award is set

As at all times, the Golden Boot award can be bestowed upon the person participant who scores essentially the most targets on the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup. Ought to a number of gamers end stage on the high of the standings, the award can be determined utilizing tiebreakers.

Ought to two or extra gamers end with the identical variety of targets, the Golden Boot will go to the participant with essentially the most assists. If that also is not sufficient to separate them then the award will go to the participant with the bottom complete minutes on the pitch (ergo, the best goals-per-minute charge).

Any targets scored in penalty shootouts is not going to depend in direction of the whole.

The 2023 Golden Boot contenders

Miyazawa and Popp are high of the standings after three video games, however six others are only one purpose behind them: Brazil’s Ary Borges, England’s Lauren James, France’s Kadidiatou Diani, Netherlands’ Jill Roord, Norway’s Sophie Roman Haug and Sweden’s Amanda Ilestedt.

Brazil winger Borges scored a nice hat trick in opposition to Panama however, like Popp, she can be unable so as to add to her complete because the Selecao crashed out after failing to beat Jamaica of their ultimate group recreation.

Nestled slightly below the aforementioned, there’s a massive group of 16 gamers who’ve two targets to their credit score together with Steph Catley and Hayley Raso of co-hosts Australia, Linda Caicedo of Colombia, Spain pair Jennifer Hermoso and Alba Redondo in addition to United States duo Lindsey Horan and Sophia Smith.

Assists being the primary tiebreaker is nice information for James, who has three. All of them got here in England’s 6-1 demolition of China, during which she additionally scored twice. The Chelsea ahead is stage within the help charts with Mina Tanaka of Japan, who has additionally scored two targets.

Ladies’s World Cup Golden Boot historical past

The Golden Boot was first awarded on the inaugural 1991 Ladies’s World Cup in China, the place USWNT ahead Michelle Akers scored 10 targets to take the plaudits with a formidable tally that has by no means been bettered at a Ladies’s World Cup.

Megan Rapinoe of the US is the reigning Ladies’s World Cup Golden Boot winner after scoring six targets because the USWNT emerged triumphant on the 2019 event in France. Her teammate Alex Morgan additionally scored six targets on the 2019 World Cup and likewise equalled Rapinoe’s help depend of three, so Rapinoe was in the end awarded the Golden Boot as a result of she had spent much less time on the pitch (428 minutes, to Morgan’s 490).

Rapinoe claiming the award additionally meant that the U.S. joined Brazil and Germany as the one nations to have had their gamers win Golden Boots at two totally different Ladies’s World Cups.

The one time the award has been shared was in 1999, when Brazil’s Sissi and China’s Solar Wen each scored seven instances. Solar’s targets powered China to the ultimate, and he or she scored within the penalty shootout after that match ended 0-0, however it was hosts the US who emerged victorious.

Ladies’s World Cup participant trophies

The 2023 Ladies’s World Cup Golden Boot trophy itself is a lifelike solid of a soccer boot in silver steel with a skinny golden coating, affixed to a sturdy frosted glass base. There are additionally silver and bronze variations given to the second and third-highest scoring gamers on the event respectively.

In addition to the Golden Boot, plenty of different particular person awards can be handed out on the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup.

The Golden Ball is awarded to one of the best total participant of the event, as determined by media representatives choosing from a shortlist drawn up by the FIFA technical committee, in addition to the Silver and Bronze Ball for the second and third greatest gamers on present.

Rapinoe additionally took this prize dwelling in 2019, with teammate Rose Lavelle coming third within the vote behind England’s Lucy Bronze. Unsurprisingly, Rapinoe ended the yr by successful the Ballon d’Or, too.

The Golden Glove award can also be awarded to one of the best total goalkeeper on the event, and is set by FIFA’s Technical Examine Group. By successful this prize at each the 2011 and 2015 tournaments, former U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo is the one participant to win twice in any particular person award class at a Ladies’s World Cup.