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Dec 02, 2023

Women's World Cup 2023 Golden Ball power rankings: England star Lauren James the frontrunner for Player of the Tournament prize after history

The World Cup trophy is not the only thing up for grabs this summer, with the globe's best players also battling it out for the Golden Ball You can't win a Women's World Cup on your own, but some

The World Cup trophy is not the only thing up for grabs this summer, with the globe's best players also battling it out for the Golden Ball

You can't win a Women's World Cup on your own, but some previous Golden Ball winners have come pretty close. A look back through prior tournaments reveals a long list of players who have dragged their teams - kicking and screaming in some cases - to glory.

Most recently, Megan Rapinoe lit up the 2019 World Cup in France, propelling the United States into the final four with successive braces in the knockout stages, before grabbing the breakthrough in the final against the Netherlands.

Eight years prior, Homare Sawa was honoured with the award after a thrilling campaign which ended with her sending Japan's final against the U.S. to penalties with a 117th-minute strike. And these are just two of the long list of Golden Ball winners who have etched their names in the history books with a game-changing summer performance.

The stars on show at the 2023 Women's World Cup will be dreaming of having a similarly decisive impact on their team's fortunes. With the knockout stages looming, GOAL has taken a look at which players are in the running to be awarded the Golden Ball this time around: