The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup begins Thursday, and ahead of Canada’s first match against Nigeria, excitement is building in London, Ont.
Two Londoners, Jessie Fleming and Shelina Zadorsky, have made the roster for Canada’s national team.
Fleming, considered one of the best players at the tournament, has 115 appearances and 19 goals for the national team, and was named the Canadian Player of the Year twice in a row (2021 and 2022).
Zadorsky is also a superstar in her own right, with 89 appearances and four goals for Canada’s national team.
Both players also play in the Women’s Super League, the highest league of women’s soccer in England.
“They are rated as one of the top stars in this tournament and then have the opportunity to really showcase their stuff,” says Luigi Sorbara, head coach for the Lambeth Azzurri U11 and U12 girls’ soccer teams.
“I think you can rank them in the top 10 in the world, especially Jessie.”
Sorbara adds that having someone who’s played on the same fields as Lambeth Azzurri go on to be a star at the World Cup is a big inspiration for the young players.
“When they have a player who’s basically from next door making it to that level, I think that inspires a lot of the players that we have on our fields. Growing up watching sports, you emulate the players and stars that you love to watch, and I think that’s the one thing that is missing in female sports,” he said.
Sofie Nother, a player on Lambeth Azzurri, says having players from London at the World Cup is inspiring.
“It’s really cool, because it means that maybe we could have a chance to be on Team Canada too,” Nother said.
“I think women’s soccer is really important because usually everyone focuses on the men’s soccer. Sometimes the women actually play better than the men.”
Sam Sproule, another player for Lambeth Azzurri, says the work ethic of the Canadian team is inspiring.
“They work really hard, and we hope it pays off. I think they have a chance of winning.”
Nother and Sproule have been playing soccer since they were four and three years old, respectively, and during the soccer season, play five times a week.
So far in the season, they’ve lost only one game.
Sorbara says the player pathway to a pro career is well laid out in Ontario, and that “having players from London makes it more realistic” for the young players.
“At our training sessions, we have girls who are wearing Jessie Fleming jerseys, and they’re talking about the Women’s National Team, they come and tell stories about this goal that Christine Sinclair scored. I think it’s a possibility to see more players from London get there.”
The seventh-ranked Canadian team will open play against the 40th-ranked Nigeria Thursday at 10:30 p.m.
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