3 Chelsea stars who’ll shine at 2023 Women’s World Cup
![Johanna Rytting Kaneryd of Chelsea of Sweden chases the ball during the International friendly match between the Australia Matildas and Sweden at AAMI Park on November 12, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images) Johanna Rytting Kaneryd of Chelsea of Sweden chases the ball during the International friendly match between the Australia Matildas and Sweden at AAMI Park on November 12, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/ffe84184cb1d868da81a72204670406b26d84130ea3e8c4a4e9d2ab789d40683.jpg)
19 Chelsea Women players will be a part of this historic World Cup down under, but which ones are going to impress?
For the first time in the history of the Women’s World Cup, this tournament will have eight groups. The west Londoners have a representative in every one of them. Last time around, the west London outfit had just 12 individuals competing on the world stage. Some will appear again while several others will be representing the six-time English champions for the first time at a World Cup.
In 2019, the west London outfit finished third in the Women’s Super League leading into the summer in France. 2023 has a completely different feel from a CFCW view. Nearly every part of the world is being covered by an individual on Emma Hayes’ side, making it more than likely a plethora of players are going to breakout in front of one of the largest audiences in the history of women’s football. Other than the obvious answer of Sam Kerr in her own country, here are three west Londoners that are bound to impress with the whole world watching.
3 Chelsea Women players that will show out at the 2023 Women’s World Cup
3. Guro Reiten
The last time Guro Reiten competed in a Women’s World Cup she had yet to don a west Londoners’ kit. The Norwegian signed her first deal with Hayes’ side in May 2019, just a few weeks before the World Cup in France kicked off. Chelsea Women No. 11 netted the opening goal of the competition for her nation in 2019, and found the back of the net in a penalty shoot out against Australia in the Round of 16.
Since then, the left-winger has grown into one of the best players in the English top-flight. This is her time to shine. Nobody on Hayes’ team during the club season was more influential in the attacking play than Reiten. With a new manager at the helm, and numerous world-class players around her to find in the box, the 28-year-old has all the tools to have a special tournament in a Norway shirt. The entire team will want to right the wrongs of last summer. An 8-0 defeat to England is something that cannot happen to a nation with as much talent as Norway.
◉ 2019 World Cup: Guro Reiten scores Norway's first goal of the tournament
— Squawka (@Squawka) July 7, 2022
◉ 2022 Euros: Guro Reiten assists Norway's first goal of the tournament
The party starter. 🎉#WEURO2022 pic.twitter.com/cGYh8jli7q
Drawn in a much simpler group, Reiten very well could kick off the competition with numerous goal contributions. She has been there, and done that. The Norwegian knows what success means on the club level, and what failure is defined as internationally. The World Cup could not have come at a more opportune time for Reiten who had 11 goals and 15 assists across both the WSL and UEFA Women’s Champions League leading into the tournament.