The 2023 Women’s World Cup has been notable for a number of reasons, many of them not even connected to what’s been happening on the pitches across Australia and New Zealand. For one, it’s the first Women’s World Cup with two hosts; it’s also the first edition with an expanded 32-team field, which has resulted in some stunning upsets (Colombia over Nigeria, anyone?) and some remarkable individual performances.
It’s also notable for the number of debutantes in the bigger field, with eight nations — Haiti, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Vietnam and Zambia — appearing in their first ever World Cup. Jamaica and South Africa have reached the round of 16 for the first time in their respective histories, but we also saw the youngest player ever to play at a World Cup (men’s or women’s) when South Korea‘s Casey Phair took the field on July 25.
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Phair is one of three 16-year-olds — along with Italy midfielder Giulia Dragoni and Costa Rica forward Sherika Scott — to make waves at this tournament, with each of them stepping up for their countries and stepping into the spotlight with aplomb and composure beyond their years. Though all three nations…
