City's World Cup journey

Fresh from a successful loan spell at BK Hacken, Blakstad was selected as part of Norway’s first starting XI in the World Cup’s opening fixture against co-hosts, New Zealand.

It was a disappointing day at the office for the winger and her team-mates, with the Kiwis causing a major upset by claiming a 1-0 win in front of 42,137 at Eden Park, a record for a football match in the country.

A goalless draw with Switzerland would follow for the Norwegians, who lost Ballon D’Or winner Ada Hegerberg to injury before kick-off, but they recovered to reach the knockout stages with a 6-0 win over the Philippines.

Australia’s route to the last 16 also went down to the wire but began with a hard-earned 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in front of an incredible 75,784 supporters.

Kennedy and Fowler both started for the Matildas in that victory, with the former also finding the net against Nigeria in the 3-2 defeat that followed.

With three points from their first two fixtures, a grudge match against Canada beckoned, with both sides knowing victory would see them progress.

And it was the hosts who came out on top, with Fowler rifling home on the rebound in an emphatic 4-0 triumph over the Olympic champions.

Things were far more clear cut for Japan, with Hasegawa providing an assist in a dominant victory over Zambia to kickstart their campaign.

Qualification for the last 16 was guaranteed after a 2-0 win over Costa Rica but the 2011 winners would reach a new level against one of the tournament’s dark horses, Spain, in their final group match.

Hasegawa was at her irrepressible best in the group decider, playing a starring role in a 4-0 drubbing of La Roja to maintain their 100% record.

England would also negotiate the group stages with three wins from three, beginning with single goal victories over a plucky Haiti and organised Denmark outfit.

While the Lionesses had been picking up results, their performances had fallen slightly below their usually high standards. That changed in their final fixture against China.

Hemp and Kelly were both on target as Sarina Wiegman’s side cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Asian champions, with Greenwood and Coombs also providing assists in Adelaide.

It was an equally memorable opening stage for Roord, who finished the group stages with three goals in as many matches for the Netherlands.

Our new City star, alongside team-mate Casparij, would see out a deserved 1-0 win over Portugal in their opening fixture, before locking horns with the USA in a rerun of the 2019 World Cup final.

The midfielder had admitted prior to the tournament that the reigning champions had been too strong for her nation on that occasion, but her clinical finish into the far corner inside 20 minutes showed the Dutch were more than a match in their latest showdown.

They would ultimately have to settle for a point in Wellington but would clinch top spot in Group E with a 7-0 win over Vietnam, with Roord grabbing a brace in the process.

Many expected Shaw’s Jamaica to be on the receiving end of a similarly emphatic scoreline when the Reggae Girlz prepared to face European heavyweights France in their opening fixture.

However, a deserved point was clinched courtesy of a goalless draw against Les Bleues, with the City forward essential in helping her team over the line.

A historic moment was, unfortunately, soured for Shaw though when she was handed a second yellow card for an innocuous challenge on France captain Wendie Renard, ruling her out of Jamaica’s 1-0 victory over Panama.

Thankfully, she returned in time to captain her nation to another remarkable result against Brazil, holding off the South Americans to secure the point they needed to reach the knockouts for the very first time.

There were no such worries for Sweden, who cruised through Group H in style, beating South Africa, Italy and Argentina en route to the last 16.

Angeldahl was a key figure in the opening two of those three fixtures, with the midfielder rested against La Albiceleste ahead of perhaps the sternest test of their credentials in the next round…

Incredibly, all 14 of City’s representatives at the World Cup had made it through the group stages but, with Hasegawa and Blakstad set to lock horns, that was soon to change.

It was the former who would come out on top, with a classy Japanese display earning them a 3-1 triumph in which Hasegawa once again played an integral role.

The Netherlands’ bid for a first World Cup title continued to gather pace one day later, with Roord opening the scoring with a close-range header against South Africa.

It was her fourth goal of the tournament, cementing her place in the record books as the highest scoring Dutch player at a single Women’s World Cup following a 2-0 triumph.

Angeldahl and our England contingent, meanwhile, were thankful to the lottery of a penalty shootout to book their places in the last eight.

Despite intense pressure from the USA, Sweden remained resolute to earn a goalless draw after 120 minutes.

And it was the Olympic silver medallists who would come out on top, rather than the reigning World champions from 12 yards, with Angeldahl and co. holding their nerve to set up a captivating quarter-final clash with Hasegawa’s Japan.

The Lionesses were also made to work for their last eight spot, being held to a goalless draw by underdogs Nigeria, who had already got the better of Australia in the group stages.

With Greenwood confidently tucking home her penalty in the shootout, it was left to Kelly to stroke home the winner, just as she had done in April’s Finalissima against Brazil.

The winger’s penalty, rifled into the top corner of the Nigerian net after her trademark stuttered run-up, clocked in at 110.79 km/h, quicker than even the Premier League’s hardest-hit goal of 2022/23.

Things were a little more comfortable for Australia after a few early scares against Denmark, with Fowler’s eye of a needle pass for Caitlin Foord setting them on their way to a 2-0 win.

Unfortunately, for Jamaica and Shaw, the Reggae Girlz’s tournament would end at this stage, with Colombia coming out on top by a single goal to set up a last eight tie with England.

With only eight teams left in the competition, five of which included members of Gareth Taylor’s City squad, just two matches now stood in the way of an appearance in the World Cup final.

Unfortunately, the journey would end for Roord and Casparij in the cruellest of circumstances.

Forcing extra time with a dramatic stoppage time equaliser against Spain, the sucker punch would follow from the boot of teenage substitute Salma Paralluelo, who fired La Roja into the semis with a 111^th-minute winner.

Angeldahl and Hasegawa were both hoping that they would avoid the same fate as their City team-mates when they prepared to face each other in Auckland.

Two sides who had both impressed in the early stages of the tournament served up a breathless encounter, with Sweden roaring into a two-goal lead before the hour.

The second of those strikes came from Angeldahl, who clinically fired home from the spot to double her nation’s advantage.

Hasegawa and co. would set up a grandstand finish when Honoka Hayashi halved the deficit late on, but the Japanese were made to rue a missed penalty as their World Cup journey came to a halt at the last eight stage.

No such worries for Australia, who reached the semi-finals for the first time in their history after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over France.

Fowler kept her cool from the spot as the Matildas edged out Les Bleues 7-6 on penalties, with an incredible 20 spot kicks needed to eventually separate the sides.

They would meet England in the next round, after the Lionesses edged past Colombia with a 2-1 triumph.

The South Americans had taken a shock lead but Hemp’s equaliser, stabbing home after the ball squirmed away from opposition goalkeeper Catalina Perez in first half stoppage time, had the European champions back on level terms soon after.

Alessia Russo would then complete the comeback with a smart turn and finish to set up a grandstand semi-final clash with the hosts.

In many ways, the two last four clashes shared plenty of similarities.

An exciting dark horse, experiencing their first-ever fixture at this stage of the World Cup, was locking horns with a tournament veteran for a place in the final.

They wouldn’t, however, reach the same outcome.

Angeldahl’s Sweden were involved in a pulsating final 10 minutes against Spain, with Rebecka Blomqvist seemingly cancelling out Paralluelo’s strike just 93 seconds after Spain had taken the lead.

However, La Roja would reach their first-ever World Cup final when Olga Carmona fired home an 89^th-minute winner from distance.

The Australian fairy tale would end at the last four stage, however, as they were downed by a professional England display.

Four City stars were involved in an entertaining encounter, but it was Hemp who really stole the show in Sydney.

The winger capitalised on a defensive lapse from the hosts to restore the Lionesses’ advantage with 20 to play, after stunning strikes from England’s Ella Toone and Australia’s Sam Kerr.

And she would play a huge part in sealing the win for her nation, with a typically mazy dribble from her own half stretching a tiring Matilda’s outfit who had committed bodies forward in search of an elusive equaliser.

Hemp found Russo with a clever reverse pass, and the Arsenal forward did the rest to stun much of the 75,000-strong crowd.

The two spots in the World Cup final had been sealed.

Despite the disappointment of their dramatic late defeat to Spain, Angeldahl’s Sweden would recover to claim a 2-0 win over Fowler and Kennedy’s Australia and finish third.

24 hours later, Spain and England would do battle to decide on silver and gold.

A truly memorable tournament was about to reach its climax in Sydney, with a new name guaranteed on the trophy.

England, semi-finalists in each of the previous two World Cups, had their sights set on completing the set after their Euro 2022 and inaugural Finalissima win over Brazil four months prior.

Greenwood and Hemp both started for the Lionesses, with Kelly, Coombs, Roebuck and Morgan all available from the bench as part of a strong City representation.

But standing in their way were a Spanish side who had impressed many with their fluid, possession-based style throughout the tournament so far.

Notable performances and victories over the Netherlands and Sweden in the previous two rounds belied their relative newcomer status, with this only their third-ever appearance at the World Cup.

But England’s experience seemed to be shining through in the opening exchanges, with Hemp rattling the bar from Rachel Daly’s cutback inside 20 minutes.

Spain recovered from that early scare and, but for a fine save from Mary Earps, could have taken the lead when Alba Redondo stole in at the far post.

But there was nothing the England stopper could do about Olga Carmona’s clinical first-time strike on the half hour, with La Roja’s captain finding the far corner after they’d stolen back possession and exploited a gap on the Lionesses’ right.

In need of inspiration, Wiegman introduced Kelly to the fray after the break, the hero of England’s Euro 2022 and Finalissima triumphs over the previous 12 months.

And it was her teasing cross which found City team-mate Hemp at the far post soon after, but the winger couldn’t find the target under pressure from Ona Batlle.

Kelly even hit the bar with a slightly miscued ball into the box as the Lionesses pressed for the equaliser, but Spain were handed a massive opportunity to double their advantage soon after when a VAR review spotted a handball from Keira Walsh in the England area.

England were once again thankful to Earps for a fine penalty stop from Jenni Hermoso, and gave everything they had to force extra time, exemplified by the bandage adorned by Greenwood for the final few minutes after the City defender was caught in the face by a stray knee when challenging for an aerial ball.

But it wasn’t to be for England or our City stars, with Spain taking home football’s ultimate prize for the first time in their history.

The 2023 Women’s World Cup had it all. Records were shattered, reputations were forged, and City were there to experience it all.

Congratulations to each of our 14 players who represented their nations this summer at the tournament, playing their part in a truly captivating spectacle.