MIAMI, Florida – The first Caribbean nation to qualify to a FIFA Women’s World Cup is ready for their second one. The Jamaican Women’s National Team will be adding a new chapter to their story on Sunday, July 23, at the Sydney Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia, when they debut at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup against France.
Jamaica shares Group F with France, Brazil and fellow Concacaf side Panama, who will be making their first Women’s World Cup appearance.
A group full of strong teams, the Reggae Girlz will be eager to show why they are now considered one of the best teams in Concacaf.
The path for this team has not been an easy one, but it has shown the talent the Caribbean has to offer women’s football. After their debut at France 2019, the world was eager to see how they would perform at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, hopeful they would write history again.
They delivered. In Monterrey, Mexico, they finished in second place of Group A, earning themselves the ticket to Australia/New Zealand 2023, only losing one game in the group stage against the United States.
They went on to play the semifinals, losing against Runner-ups Canada, but won the Third-Place Match against Costa Rica. With this win, Jamaica will play to get the chance to participate for the first time at the Olympic games, in Paris 2024, later this September.
A team full of talent, there are many key players for the Reggae Girlz this summer, the most influential one being captain Khadija Shaw. Named 2022 Concacaf Player of the Year, Shaw will lead her country to try to get past the group stage for the first time ever.
Shaw scored three goals and had an assist at the 2022 CWC, earning a spot in the tournament’s Best XI. That came on the heels of scoring nine goals in CWC Qualifying.
Another player that has caught attention before and is preparing to do it again is FW Jody Brown. The 21-year-old was named Best Young Player of the 2018 CWC, essential to Jamaica’s appearance in France 2019. Now, with more experience, she will face her second major tournament, aiming to be one of the best yet again.
The Reggae Girlz know what it means for the Caribbean and Concacaf to be representing their island and the region. With fans around the world cheering from them, they will take the pitch ready to perform in every match.
