Thomas Vedder 
Coach Germán Portonova announced his 23-player roster for the upcoming Women’s World Cup which is taking place in Australia and New Zealand. The primary objective, securing their first win since FIFA began to organize the competition in 1998. The team will begin their final preparations for a friendly against Perú on July 14 at 8:30 p.m. in the Estadio San Nicólas in Buenos Aires Province.
Portonova chose to feature a mix of experienced players and newcomers in his first ever World Cup squad, naming 14 players who were a part of the 2019 team. A spotlight will be on Yamila Rodriguez, who was omitted from the roster in 2019 at the last minute due to “fitness issues”. The forward — who has a tattoo of Cristiano Ronaldo on her left shin — was the top scorer at the Copa America last year. Other notable newcomers include American-born midfielder Sophia Braun, forward Paulina Gramaglia and 17-year-old goalkeeper Lara Esponda.
Typical stalwarts of the team like Estefanía Bannini and Mariana Larroquette, will also return. Goalkeeper Vanina Correa, the oldest player on the roster at 39, will feature in her fourth world cup, the most on the team.
Goalkeeper Laurina Oliveros was one of the surprise absences, missing out due to a broken finger in her left hand. Agustina Barroso, a crucial part of the centerhalf partnership alongside Aidana Cometti at the last World Cup and Copa America, was also left off the final roster.
The team will hope to build on their third place finish at the 2022 Copa America but will face a difficult challenge in a group stage including Italy, Sweden, and South Africa. Their first match against Italy, on July 24, will be a litmus test for the Argentine team that was eliminated in the group stage of the 2019 World Cup in France. The fixture schedule favors Argentina, who have the possibility of securing qualification from the group stage in their first two games before having to face Sweden, their strongest opposition who finished in third in the previous World Cup.
