USWNT World Cup 2023: 5 key players who can help the US win it all

With one of the best rosters in the world, the United States will have to pick the best starting lineup to get themselves that fifth trophy. Here are five key players essential to their success. 

There are 23 players on every roster, but each team has players who are key to their success. These players are the core of the team, and their key traits for making this list include talent, consistency, and a cool head under pressure.

The United States has some of the best depth in the world, but even there can only be 11 players on the field at a time, so they have to choose carefully. The World Cup is a marathon, not a sprint, and these players will be key to holding the team together in the long run.

Here are the five key players to help the USWNT nab the trophy for a fifth time and do what no team (men’s or women’s) has ever done before —win the tournament three times in a row.

Key players for the USWNT at the Women’s World Cup: 5. Sophia Smith

To win major tournaments, you’ve got to score goals, and that’s something that Sophia Smith has lots of familiarity with. The young forward just bagged her second hat trick this season in the sendoff match with the Portland Thorns and became the youngest player in the NWSL to reach thirty goals. At just 22 years old, Smith has shown that she can compete with anyone on any level fearlessly.

One of the key components to Smith’s success is her playmaking. She doesn’t wait for an assist but makes the space herself to engineer the best and most outrageous goals possible. Once she gets on the move there’s almost no stopping her, with her speed and skill out maneuvering most defensive lines as she dribbles with unparalleled confidence. That confidence and finishing ability will be key to pushing the USWNT to their fifth title.