The Matildas aren’t the obvious choice to win the World Cup
If I asked any soccer fan outside of Australia who they thought would win the 2023 World Cup, I’d get a variety of answers…USA, England, Germany, France. Australia would almost certainly not be a part of that conversation. The Matildas just don’t have the storied history to back them up.
But what do the Matildas have? They have Sam Kerr, a feisty supporting cast and home-court advantage. They’re still an underdog, but they’re also now part of the conversation.
The Disney+ series Matildas: The World At Our Feet follows the Australian national team as they prepare for the 2023 World Cup.
🍿 All 6 episodes streaming now 🍿@DisneyPlus' six-part documentary series, “Matildas: The World at Our Feet”, is NOW LIVE! #WeAreMatildas #MatildasOnDisneyPlus
— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) April 26, 2023
If you’re not Australian, they’re likely not your country of choice to take home the tournament hardware, but they might just become your backup team if your home country is sent packing first.
This six-part series succeeds in making you feel a little bit of everything.
You’re gutted for the players with ill-timed injuries, ecstatic in the midst of unlikely wins over powerhouse nations, proud of the strong women reclaiming their spots after becoming mothers, inspired by the impact the senior team has on younger generations, and hopeful for the team’s success.
The beauty of the behind-the-scenes look this series offers is that we get a more complete picture of the total human.
Lydia Williams revisits the bush and reflects on her indigenous heritage with a family friend, Sam Kerr rightfully claps back against those who suggest her record-breaking goal tally is not equal to that of her male counterpart, and in support of her brother Noa battling brain cancer, Aivi Luik shaves her head surrounded by a loving and compassionate circle of teammates and opponents.
The Matildas have talent, yes, but they thrive because of their ability to rally around each other in life, hype each other up in the best of times, and lift each other up through hardships, all of which translates into camaraderie and a never-say-die attitude they all share on the field.
Will the Matildas win the World Cup? It’s unlikely. Can they win? Yes. At the very least they’ve gained a whole new worldwide audience that would love to see them succeed.