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Greenwood happy with ‘humble’ England’s World Cup chances
England defender Alex Greenwood says the Lionesses are keeping their egos firmly in check as they begin their quest for a maiden FIFA Women's World Cup title in a week’s time.
Greenwood’s first experience of the global showpiece was in 2015, when the Lionesses achieved a team-best third-place finish in Canada, and alongside Lucy Bronze is one of just two players on manager Sarina Wiegman’s current roster to have featured in three consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments.
Perhaps more than any previous edition, the Lionesses enter this tournament firmly among the favourites to go all the way and unseat two-time defending champion United States after winning the UEFA EURO 2022 final to lift a first major trophy.
Asked how she would rate the sense of belief in the England camp, Greenwood said: “We’re European champions for a reason. High but very humble as well, and we’re a team that’s hard-working and a team I think that’s focused on the job in hand, but I think right now the focus is on the first game and not past that.”
England, which sits at No.4 in the FIFA world rankings, will first take on Haiti, 49 places lower in the global order, in Brisbane before travelling to Sydney to face 13th-placed Denmark and conclude the group stage in Adelaide against China, which is No.14 in the world.
For the first time the competition has expanded to 32 teams, with the top two from each group progressing to the knockout stages. The prize pot has also increased to around $160 million, more than three times what was on offer at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, although still paling in comparison to the $640 million distributed after the 2022 FIFA World Cup for men in Qatar.
That progress is what makes this third trip particularly special for 29-year-old tournament veteran Greenwood, who has played her club football with Manchester City since 2020.
Speaking after a team training session at Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Stadium, she said: “It’s the biggest [FIFA] Women’s World Cup we’ve had in history. It speaks for itself and I think the capability of teams in this tournament is huge.
“The excitement for the tournament, what women’s football’s done and where we’re at now makes it a more attractive tournament if you want to say. But yeah, I think year-on-year and tournament-on-tournament the game’s growing and this one speaks for itself.”
The Lionesses left England on 5 July and have been staying on the Sunshine Coast, where they’ve spotted kangaroos roaming the hotel grounds and have been able to enjoy local highlights from whale-watching to observing animals at the zoo.
On Monday England will transfer to its team hotel in Brisbane ahead of the Haiti clash.
Keeping busy has helped alleviate some of the hardship of the long distance from loved ones and missing the comforts of home, a situation Greenwood mitigates by looking at the bigger picture.
She added: “I think the dream and what we want to achieve remains consistent in my mind. So that makes obviously the sacrifice and being halfway around the world from your family a lot easier, but obviously I feel very blessed and lucky to be in this position.
“So I grab the opportunity with both hands and want to make everyone proud really.”