From the USA to Thailand, there are a wider range of teams at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup than ever before.

Here we look at the star player from each side and why they are so important to their team if they want to advance deep into the tournament.

There are some players who everyone has heard of, but we start off with a woman who has scored 181 goals for her country and could make history this summer.

Canada - Christine Sinclair

If Christine Sinclair scores four goals at this World Cup she will become the all-time top international scorer for men or women, surpassing Abby Wambach who sits on 184.

It is a winnable group if they can get something from the Netherlands game. However, if they win their group they will likely face England or Japan and if they finish runners-up it will probably be Sweden waiting for them in the last 16.

A difficult passage however well they start, even with the ridiculous goal machine that is Sinclair.

Norway - Caroline Graham Hansen

It is devastating that Ballon D’Or winner Ada Hegerberg will not be playing for Norway this summer because of her protest against the way the NFF treat women’s football.

Instead they will have to turn to Caroline Graham Hansen who is an experienced head at the age of just 24.

She was playing for the then European Champions Wolfsburg from the age of 19 and now, off the back of a move to Barcelona, Hansen has the potential to spearhead a strong Norwegian side.

Nigeria - Asisat Oshoala

Nigeria are going to struggle in their group because they are up against the hosts in France and a Norway side with the quality to hurt even the best teams in the competition on their day.

If Nigeria are going to make any inroads into the tournament they will need Barcelona striker Asisat Oshoala to show the form which saw her score eight goals in 11 games for the Catalan club last season.

South Korea - Ji So-yun

You have to feel for South Korea because they really have little chance in this group of France, Norway and Nigeria, especially after being taken apart by the hosts in the opening game.

Chelsea’s Ji So-yun brings something for defences to worry about as Korea’s all-time leading scorer with 54. But ultimately their chances look very, very slim.

Spain - Marta Torrejon

Marta Torrejon is a seasoned pro who has played for Barcelona for over six years now.

She was a part of the Spain side four years ago who went home in shame after just one point from their three group games. She will be determined to exercise those demons in the coming weeks, especially with China and South Africa in their group.

However, with Germany also in Group B it will likely mean Spain’s progression to the last 16 will see them face the reigning world champions in the USA. A daunting proposition where Torrejon would really need to come to the fore.

Germany - Giulia Gwinn

Giulia Gwinn is still a teenager, yet she has already made her mark on this tournament by scoring the winner in Germany’s unconvincing 1-0 win over China.

It is clear Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side are going to have to rely at least partly on their younger players to help them try and secure a third World Cup.

Gwinn should be a regular in the German side after her performance in the opening game and could prove vital despite the China game being her first competitive appearance for her country.

China - Wang Shuang

Wang Shuang is the only player from the 23-woman Chinese squad to play outside of her home country.

The 24-year-old midfielder plays for Paris Saint-Germain and is the only asset China have that will have worried fellow Group B sides Germany and Spain.

It is a tall order for China to progress in the tournament, but there best chance in doing so is to build the team around Shuang.

Brazil - Marta

The most famous player at the Women’s World Cup and with that the most famous of all-time.

Marta is a six-time World Player of the Year winner, the last of which came in 2018 after eight years having not won the award. Her record speaks for itself – 110 goals in 133 appearances for Brazil. She’s a machine.

She may be passed her prime but Brazil will still need her creative flare if they want to reach the latter stages of the tournament.

USA - Alex Morgan

Well, she already has five goals at the tournament after one game and has a real chance of being the star of the 201 competition.

106 goals in 164 games is an incredible return for her country.

Morgan has the chance to become a sporting legend in the States before age of 30 if she can continue this blistering goalscoring form and guide USA to a second successive World Cup.

England - Lucy Bronze

England’s right-hand side is perhaps the most devastating at the tournament with Lucy Bronze at full-back and Nikita Paris in front of her.

Bronze, 27, comes into the tournament off the back of yet another Champions League victory with Lyon and her delivery into the box is as good as any right-back who is playing in France.

It is crucial she brings her winning mentality to the England set-up in order for them to go deep into the tournament.

France - Eugenie le Sommer

Nine consecutive league titles with Lyon. Four consecutive Champions Leagues with Lyon. Eugenie le Sommer is a winner, there’s no two ways about it.

France look like they’ll be the biggest obstacle in the USA’s way this summer.

But if they are going to challenge them and try to win their first World Cup on home turf, Le Sommer is the crucial component they need to be firing.

Netherlands - Vivianne Miedema

Netherlands are an outside bet to challenge for the tournament this summer, although much of that expectation is on the shoulders of the top scorer in the Women’s Super League last season - Vivianne Miedema.

The Dutch striker scored 29 goals in 25 games for league winners Arsenal in what was a truly incredible season.

Netherlands best performance at a World Cup was reaching the last 16 in 2015 – Miedema could single handily change that this summer.

Scotland - Kim Little

Kim Little is one of the most technically gifted footballers to play in England and has taken on the role as the go-to-woman for Scotland since Julie Fleeting retired in 2015.

Having just played a major part in Arsenal reclaiming the Women’s Super League, it is important Scotland get the ball to Little as much as possible – whether that be in her natural forward position or in the deeper role she takes up for Scotland.

Japan and England are stiff opposition for Scotland, but it is a qualifiable group.

Australia - Sam Kerr

The biggest shock of the tournament so far was Italy beating Australia 2-1 despite Sam Kerr’s putting them in front early on with a rebound from her initial penalty miss.

Kerr is the player the Aussies are going to have to turn to in order to dig themselves out of this predicament.

They may need a result against Brazil to ensure their passage to the next round and Kerr’s record of 32 international goals at just 25 years old is something they can put faith in.

South Africa - Janine Van Wyk

This World Cup really is going to be a case of backs to the wall defending for South Africa.

Captain Janine van Wyk is the most experienced player they have at the age of 32. She has made 166 appearances for her country, more than any other man or woman, and this will be the highlight of her international career.

But they face an extremely tall order being in the same group as two-time winners Germany and Spain.

Italy - Cristiana Girelli

Cristina Girelli is a prolific number 10 for her country, averaging more than a goal every two games – 27 goals in 51 appearances.

She is a brilliantly creative player and one who on her day can cause any side in the competition major problems.

She scored five goals in qualifying for the Italians who are going to need her in a really tough group which includes Brazil and Australia.

Jamaica - Khadija Shaw

Khadija Shaw’s record at international level rivals any other player at the tournament.

A record of 31 goals in 24 appearances for Jamaica is some return, and at the age of just 22. She has scored four braces in 2019 alone, showing she has great form coming into the World Cup.

However, Shaw and Jamaica are in an incredibly difficult position given they sit in a group with Brazil, Italy and Australia. Chances will be few and far between for the young striker.

Japan - Saki Kumagai

Japan are another nation where the bulk of their squad plays in their own domestic league. But it is one of the few who play elsewhere that Japan will look to for inspiration.

The captain of the side, Saki Kumagai, I an experienced defender who has played for Champions League winners Lyon for six seasons and played over 100 times.

She is a capable defender who also has over 100 caps for Japan and will be hoping to go one step further than four years ago when they were beaten 5-2 in the final by the USA.

Argentina - Sole Jaimes

Sole Jaimes has had a strange career.

Now 30 years of age, Jaimes hasn’t had as stellar an international career as you’d expect from a forward who now plays for the European champions.

Nevertheless, she is going to be hoping her goals can help Argentina progress from the group stages of a World Cup for the first time in their history.

New Zealand - Ali Riley

New Zealand are another side who have never gotten past the group stages and will fancy their chances at rewriting history with Cameroon in their group.

New Zealand’s captain is Ali Riley, also of Chelsea, and has well over 100 caps for her country.

Riley, who can play as a left full-back or a left winger, will be hoping she can have a similar influence on the left-hand side that Lucy Bronze does down the right for England.

Thailand - Sunisa Srangthaisong

Sunisa Srangthaisong has accumulated more caps than most for the Thailand national side with 88.

For starters, she is probably the only defender at the tournament who will be wearing a number 10 which is always intriguing to see.

But more than that she is an experienced, seasoned defender who will need to try and organise her teammates on the pitch to give themselves the best chance of beating Chile - which is realistically their only hope of escaping out of a group containing Sweden and USA.

Chile - Daniela Zamora

Chile are in a difficult group with USA and Sweden but could find salvation in the fact that they are also in with minnows Thailand.

Given they could go through to the last 16 by finishing third in their group it puts even more pressure on their final game against a Thai side who on paper they should beat.

If they are going to do so then they need players to step up on the biggest stage and perform like they never have before. 28-year-old striker Daniela Zamora has failed to score a single goal in 12 appearances for Chile, but she is a talented, mobile forward and she could see this as her time to shine.

Cameroon - Christine Manie

Cameroonian veteran Christine Manie is still going strong at the age of 35 years old.

She is captaining Cameroon at the World Cup and is experienced enough having made 63 appearances for the African nation.

She also, quite incredibly, has 10 goals for her country from a defensive position and so could be one to watch out for if Cameroon try to make the most of their limited attacking options from plays such as set-pieces and long balls.