Canada’s Christine Sinclair leads squad into her sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup

Canada's Adriana Leon celebrates with her teammates after scoring her team's second goal during a friendly soccer international between Canada and Australia in Sydney, Australia, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. (Rick Rycroft/AP)

Posted July 9, 2023 11:48 am.

Christine Sinclair has scored in five FIFA Women’s World Cups during her career. As impressive as that is, she will be looking to make it six when the 2023 tournament kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

The 40-year-old Sinclair was one of 23 women named on Sunday by head coach Bev Priestman to Canada’s roster for the event, which Sinclair first played at in 2003. That was 323 caps and 190 goals ago for the native of Burnaby, B.C.

Sinclair will be joined on the 23-player squad by veterans and household names Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, and Sophie Schmidt, who represent a combined 469 national team games between them.

Missing from the group is veteran midfielder Desiree Scott, who could not recover from knee surgery in time to make the squad. Janine Beckie had already been ruled out due to a torn ACL she suffered in March. Defender Jade Rose, a rising star at just 20, was forced to withdraw from the pre-tournament camp due to injury.

Midfielder Marie-Yasmine Alidou and forward Clarissa Larisey, who were invited to the camp on Australia’s Gold Coast, also did not make the final roster.

Youngsters Simi Awujo, 19, and Olivia Smith, 18, both made the squad. They’ll be making their World Cupt debuts, along with Lysianne Proulx, Vanessa Giles, Cloé Lacasse, and Evelyne Viens. Proulx is the lone uncapped member of the squad.

“I’m naturally devastated for the players who have missed out, especially due to injuries, but I know every player will be with us on our journey and have been pivotal in getting us to this point,” said Priestman in a statement from Canada Soccer.

The team will open the tournament with a game against Nigeria on Friday, July 21 in Melbourne. Canada’s other group games are against the Republic of Ireland on July 26 in Perth and co-hosts Australia on July 31, back in Melbourne. The event, which culminates on Aug. 20 in Sydney, will feature 32 nations for the first time.

The goal, as always, is to come home champions, which will be no small task for the seventh-ranked Canadians. Though Olympic success has become a trend for the team, with a pair of bronze medals and then gold at the 2020 Games (held in 2021 because of the pandemic) in Tokyo, Canada’s best Women’s World Cup placing was way back in 2003, when it finished fourth. The women were knocked out in the Round of 16 at the last World Cup in 2019 when they lost to Sweden, and got as far as the quarterfinals in 2015 when Canada hosted the event.

The team is scheduled to play a closed-door match against England on Friday.

Canada’s Women’s World Cup Roster:

CANADA

GK – Sabrina D’Angelo | ENG / Arsenal FC

GK – Lysianne Proulx | POR / SCU Torreense

GK – Kailen Sheridan | USA / San Diego Wave FC

CB – Kadeisha Buchanan | ENG / Chelsea FC

CB – Vanessa Gilles | FRA / FCF Olympique Lyonnais

CB – Shelina Zadorsky | ENG / Tottenham Hotspur

FB – Gabrielle Carle | USA / Washington Spirit

FB – Allysha Chapman | USA / Houston Dash

FB – Ashley Lawrence | FRA / Chelsea FC