Five inspirational athletes at the 2023 Women's World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has produced dramatic wins, heartbreaking losses and a whole lot of surprises.

Reigning Olympic champions Canada and No. 2-ranked Germany made early exits in the tournament, while back-to-back World Cup title holders USA were eliminated in the round of 16.

Additionally, we’ve seen lower-ranked “underdog” nations like South Africa, Morocco and Jamaica shock the world with their skill, charisma and resilience.

And while there’s certainly talent from competing nations on the pitch, many players have important backstories that made them the people and athletes they are today.

Read on to learn about five Women’s World Cup players who have overcome trauma, injuries and more to represent their country and make history on the world’s stage.

18-year-old Linda Caicedo is one of the brightest young talents in the women’s game.

At age 15, the attacker became the top goalscorer in the Colombian domestic championship, and made her debut on the senior international team.

Caicedo’s soccer career was growing at an unprecedented speed — until she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which questioned her future in sport.

“At the time, I didn’t think I could play professionally again because of all the treatments and surgeries I had to go through,” Caicedo told FIFA.

“Mentally, it was a very difficult moment in my life. But I was able to recover…I feel thankful and happy to be here.”

The traumatic experience helped her develop resilience and toughness both on and off the field. Known for her pace, vision and clinical finishing, Caicedo’s influence has helped her country reach the quarter-finals at the Women’s World Cup for the first time in history.

But scoring goals in Australia and New Zealand isn’t the only thing she’s done since recovering from cancer. In the past 12 months alone, Caicedo dazzled at the FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup, the FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup, and signed a professional contract with Real Madrid.

Five years ago, Hayley Raso was hospitalized with a broken back and three shattered vertebrae.

After an on-field collision while playing for the Portland Thorns in August 2018, doctors said she may never walk again, let alone play soccer. At that point, the Australian put her athletic and World Cup dreams aside to focus on her recovery journey.

“It was really traumatic for me both mentally and physically,” she recalled.

“I basically couldn’t do anything and I had to take it one step at a time, learning the small things like how to walk again.”

Miraculously, the now 28-year-old made a full recovery and has taken her game to a whole new level.

After an impressive two-year stay with Manchester City in the WSL, making 47 appearances and winning the 2022 Continental Cup, Raso signed for Real Madrid in May and is excited to make her mark on the Spanish game.

The winger has currently scored three goals this Women’s World Cup so far, and will hunt for more in the Matildas’ upcoming quarter-final clash with France on Saturday.

Last month, Nouhaila Benzina made history when she played for Morocco against South Korea in the group stage. The defender became the first player to wear a hijab while competing at a senior-level Women’s World Cup.

At the same time, the 25-year-old became a symbol of inclusion that will hopefully change the future of diversity and representation in soccer.

Not too long ago, the sport did not allow hijab-wearing women to compete. The FIFA ban on religious head coverings, which was made for “health and safety” reasons, was reversed in 2014 after advocates sought change.

“I have no doubt that more and more women and Muslim girls will look at Benzina and just really be inspired – not just the players, but I think decision makers, coaches, other sports as well,” said Assmaah Helal, co-founder of the Muslim Women in Sports Network.

Adding to the history is the fact that Morocco became the first Arab or North African nation to qualify for the Women’s World Cup — and make the last 16.

Despite bowing out of the tournament after a 4-0 loss to France, Benzina’s story is one of the “off-the-field” highlights from this World Cup.

Khadija “Bunny” Shaw is one of the most prolific strikers in the women’s game today. For Manchester City last season, the 26-year-old recorded 31 goals in all competitions and was named the club’s Women’s Player of the Season.

Internationally, Shaw is Jamaica's all-time top goal-scorer and is the lynchpin of the team. But the skipper’s road to success hasn’t always been positive.

Growing up, the attacker had to overcome numerous obstacles to keep her soccer dreams alive.

Shaw often faced discrimination as the sport was not traditionally a place for women in Jamaica. Instead, she snuck out of her childhood home in the evenings to play with the local boys, much to her family’s dismay.

“I remember one day I got so mad and I said: ‘Mom, you never know: I could be the one to change [soccer] in Jamaica’," she told Man City.

Additionally, Shaw has overcome a series of personal challenges, having lost two of her nephews and four brothers to car accidents or gang-related violence.

Instead of dwelling on the past, Shaw’s ability to rise above tragedy has made her a passionate and tough competitor.

Michelle Alozie and Nigeria made headlines when they made it all the way to the last 16 in this year’s Women’s World Cup.

But while the defender made waves as a gritty and technical player, it’s unbeknown to many that she juggles her soccer career with cancer research.

Before leaving for the Women’s World Cup, the Super Falcons star, who plays for Houston Dash in the NWSL, learned to balance her training schedule with shifts as a research technician studying acute leukemia and cancer at Texas Children’s Hospital. She also has a degree in Molecular Biology from Yale University.

“I’ll probably be done with training around 1 p.m. I’ll head straight to the children’s hospital, get there around 1:30 p.m., probably have our team meetings, and then go about my day until 5 p.m.,” she told FIFA.

While it’s not always easy for the Nigerian international, her genuine love for soccer and medicine makes it all worthwhile.

“I’m overall really grateful. I know that it’s two of my passions and what makes it really worthwhile is that I just love doing both of them,” Alozie said.