The FIFA Women's World Cup has once again captured the world's attention as these phenomenal athletes showcase their extraordinary skills on the global stage. Beyond their remarkable talents, the tournament also highlights the dedication and hard work these players invest in maintaining their peak physical condition. From disciplined diets to rigorous training routines, these women exemplify the epitome of athleticism and commitment. Here we delve into the health and fitness regimens of 20 remarkable stars, each of whom brings a unique approach to staying at the top of their game. As the competition unfolds from July 20 to August 20, join us in celebrating the inspiring bodies of the FIFA Women's World Cup stars.
1. Kristie Mewis
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Kristie Mewis talked about the impact women’s soccer has on her to Sixstarpro.com. “I was probably getting the benefits from it when I didn't realize it because I was only 10 or 11 years old when it first started happening. I was too young to truly understand what it meant, but I think it probably first started impacting me when I was going to youth national team camps when I went to College. That's truly when I first started feeling that this means something, like I'm going somewhere with this, I can make this a career. Whereas I think of my mom at my age, they didn't really feel the same support that I felt. I always had this dream of being a professional athlete, and it was able to happen because of all of the women before me and because of Title IX.”
2. Megan Rapinoe
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Megan Rapinoe makes sure to eat healthy. She shared her diet and her approach to eating in an interview with Well + Good. "Overall, my philosophy is just to put good things in my body. I don't really eat anything artificial, fake, or that I can't pronounce. I try to keep it simple and clean."
3. Julie Ertz
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Julie Ertz shared how she trains for games in an interview with SELF. She says that she does a lot of weight training, and also makes sure to target every muscle she can. “It's really important to hit the big muscles, but a lot of people forget the smaller muscles, which are just as important, especially in such a multidimensional sport where you are running up and down in every direction,” she explained.
4. Mallory Swanson
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Mallory Swanson wants to inspire others, particularly her younger teammates. "Trying to be there for them is always important because whether it's their first or second year in the league, it's stressful and it's completely different," she tells People. "It's a new city probably for most of them, the game itself is probably way faster. The way things are ran, it's completely different. So trying to be there for them and help them through any of that is always important."
5. Alex Morgan
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Alex Morgan shared her tips for staying on her vegan diet to The Beet. “There are times when I may find myself eating something that has eggs in it or dairy. Sometimes that slips into my diet and I am trying to eat healthy and plant-based but when that happens I tell myself to give myself some grace. So if you are trying to live healthily and vegan, you can forgive yourself. That's what I mean by giving yourself grace.”
6. Ella Toone
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Ella Toone talked about her approach to playing in an interview with Forbes. "Well I think my game is ultimately about getting in the pockets and finding space and getting on the half-turn. I think I did that well on my debut for England. I think with my club, that's something that I work on massively, and the likes of Tobin and Christen always help. They give me little bits of advice that will help me and I've learned a lot from them. So yeah, it's just about me keeping working hard and keep getting in those little pockets of space and trying to make things happen on the pitch."
7. Emily Sonnett
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Emily Sonnett took UsSoccer.com through a day at her training camp. “We don't often lift heavy weight, but we do get a lot of reps in. We've also did a lot of testing at the beginning of camp to measure our range of motion, agility, flexibility, etc. We really appreciate having that kind of feedback because of course we want to do everything that can help us win, always.”
8. Alyssa Naeher
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Alyssa Naeher talked about how she gets through tough times in an interview with The Los Angeles Times. “Lean on your teammates. Lean on your family. Just focus on what you want. For me it was showing up every day and controlling all the things that I could control. And that was being a good teammate.”
9. Sam Kerr
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Sam Kerr shared her tips for having a healthy body and mind to Body + Soul. “Having a routine and creating structure. I find this helps me so much, especially in difficult times. I get up, have a coffee, have breakfast and train. My advice to others is to start the day knowing what you want to achieve, get moving and get it done.”
10. Ellie Carpenter
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Ellie Carpenter doesn’t let haters or hecklers bother her. In fact, she’s motivated by them. Carpenter talked to The Guardian about a time when the opposing team’s coach was yelling at her when she was 16. “It kind of just made me play better, to be honest,” she says. “It motivated me more – I just wanted to shut him up. Like ‘OK, you want to bad mouth me, try to get in my head?’ It worked, but not in the way he had obviously hoped.”
11. Kyah Simon
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Kyah Simon notably had to have ankle-reconstruction surgery in the 2019 season. She opened up about her recovery process in an interview with MyFootball.com. Simon notably changed her diet, and thinks that this has helped her prevent injuries. “I’ve pretty much cut out gluten and dairy,” she said. “I am intolerant to gluten, but I didn’t know that until I got tested at the start of last year. Half of my injuries are caused by inflammation and when you think that your body is intolerant to a certain food, that is causing extra inflammation in your body.”
12. Bunny Shaw
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Bunny Shaw always tries to help her teammates on the field, and for her, that doesn’t always mean being the one with the ball. She tells The Athletic, “It’s not always about scoring and assisting. You can also make an impact in terms of fighting to win a ball or slide-tackling, always staying active and reliable, and being there for your team-mates.”
13. Hayley Raso
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Hayley Raso opened up about how she recovered from a back injury to Vogue. “It’s training every day, it’s recovering right, it’s making sure your body is fuelled with the right foods so you can train and perform at your peak.” Raso says that she made sure to set goals. “Even on those bad days you know you’re working towards something that’s going to be so big and so special.”
14. Steph Catley
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Aussie football player, Steph Catley, is open about advocating for women in sports. She talked about this in an interview with Mamamia.com. “I've been involved in so many fights throughout my career, where we've been asking for equality, and we've been asking for better standards, and to see that now young girls won't have to worry about the things that we had to worry about is amazing. It makes me very proud to watch young girls step into football teams, and be appreciated and paid as they should be. And have the standards and equipment that we didn't have growing up. It's very exciting. And I know it's gonna keep growing and growing, too.”
15. Larissa Crummer
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Larissa Crummer opened up about recovering from an injury that nearly cost her her leg in an interview with Bardown.com. "I train in Brisbane four times a week; it's an hour-and-a-half commute to get to training so a three-hour round trip," she said. "If I have [to go to the] gym I wake up at 4 a.m. and do it before I go to work, then do a full day's work labouring, knock off about 3 p.m. and head down to training."
16. Andi Sullivan
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Andi Sullivan opened up about her approach to thinking to The Players Tribune. “What I say now might be different than how I feel in an hour, but honestly in the grand scheme of things, I’m healthy, I’m safe. So all in all I’m doing pretty well, and I feel like I’m doing my part to not spread things. In the not-so-grand scheme of things, it’s tough. I’m jealous of all the people who are with their families. Also, I think being an athlete you’re not used to downtime. It’s just a weird, nebulous space.”
17. Lindsey Horan
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Lindsey Horan opened up about her approach to fitness to Tonal.com. She says that it plays a bigger role in her life now. “Fitness was never the main component in my game when I was younger,” she says. “I wish it was. I wish I knew what I know now. I wish I knew everything that goes into fitness because it’s not just running. It’s not just kicking the ball and chasing it.”
18. Lynn Williams
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Lynn Williams opened up about being labeled an “underdog” to JustWomensSports.com. “In the past, people really got annoyed with us, saying ‘you guys are clearly not the underdogs,’ but I always think that it’s not necessarily about your performance or your results. It’s an attitude… an underdog attitude is somebody who’s always going to fight no matter how much success they’re having.”
19. Kelley O’Hara
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When she’s training, Kelley O’Hara tells ESPN that she likes to eat oatmeal for breakfast. “We have practice every day at 10 a.m. and I feel like this meal helps fuel me to make it through practice,” she explains. “For me, it's a delicious comfort food. It doesn't upset my stomach in any way. It's an easy meal to exercise off. For some reason, it's what's best for my body. I feel great after eating it.”
20. Rose Lavelle
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In addition to prioritizing her training, Rose Lavelle also prioritizes her recovery. She takes Well + Good through a typical rest day. Lavelle says that she likes to do a lighter workout, like a walk, to get some physical activity in. “I like to get my legs moving in some way cause being a blob the whole day doesn’t make me feel great. The goal is to just get my heart rate going and activate my muscles for the rest of the day.”