“Putellas is the best, but Linda Caicedo will soon take the throne from her”: five answers about who is the best soccer player in the world today

The 2023 Women’s World Cup grows in emotion day after day and what happened with Marta is probably the button that explains it:

At a press conference before the Brazil vs. Jamaica game, which ended up being the last match of the unattainable Marta in a World Cup, they asked her about her legacy in women’s football. She, excited, answered five cassette. And she made us all cry: “You know what’s great? That when I started playing, I didn’t have an idol in women’s football. You did not broadcast women’s soccer. How could I imagine that I could make it to the national team and become a benchmark? Today when we go out on the streets, people stop us and tell us that they want to be like us. It’s not just with me, it’s with other players as well. So, today we have our own references. That would not have been possible if we had given up at the first obstacles we encountered. It’s a continuous fight that didn’t start with me but with many soccer players from long ago. For that, we are very proud.”

And the best is yet to come. With the end of the group stage, the teams are reduced by half and of the 32 applicants to lift the World Cup, only 16 remain in the race towards the maximum scepter, which is to lift the title, the greatest feat of the essence of football. .

On the one hand, the United States wants to retain the title, but that is not in the plans of the other teams that star in the round of 16 in the World Cup Australia and New Zealand. Will the Americans be able to continue to assert supremacy? Will there be room for a surprise?

We are looking for five renowned journalists after Linda Caicedo’s spectacular score and the Colombian euphoria to define what is experienced in the Women’s World Cup.

-How would you define Linda Caicedo x the great revelation of the world cup?

-Who is the best player in the world today: Alexia Putellas or the Colombian Caicedo?

-What other conclusions does the World Cup leave us to date?

Juliana Salazar Meza – Presenter at ESPN Argentina

1. Intelligence, magic, conviction, security, commitment, discipline, a player who has a very defined sporting project, who knows where she is going and who makes very good decisions on the pitch. Despite her youth, she is a player who has an impressive professional maturity and for a year she has played in the U-17 World Cup with a final included, the U-20 World Cup, the Senior World Cup, the Copa América and in all those tournaments she scored a goal. Simply, Linda Caicedo is pure magic and total pride for my country Colombia. We are facing one of the best players we have and surely she will give us greater joy.

2. Today it seems to me that if one analyzes the present of Linda Caicedo and what she has done this last year playing the three World Cups and playing in the Copa América scoring goals in all competitions, one would say if you make me compare by present I would say that she . And it is that, you are putting her to compare with Alexia Putellas who becomes a footballer who has won Ballon d’Ors, and she is a player who was far from her level, but due to an injury. I think that the career and experience that Alexia Putellas has keeps her as the best player, however, yes, you ask me to compare her with Linda’s present, I thought that it is difficult to make that comparison, because they are two very different careers , one that is already very structured like that of Putellas and the other of Linda that we would say is beginning, for this reason, it seems to me that they are two different situations. It seems to me that the comparison should not be given, but Linda’s present is fantastic.

3. That the gap between the great teams and the teams that have a process that takes less time is getting smaller. The level is becoming much more even, as we see teams that have suffered just like England, who have won by the slightest difference and did not have it so easy. Teams like Germany, who lost to Colombia, that is, I think we are seeing a much more even level and that fills us with much more emotion, because the teams are becoming more competitive every time, they have better players and that allows the tournament to be much more disputed. As in the entire World Cup, there are favorites, but those favorites already know that there are teams that can surprise, because they are carrying out important processes, since they have players at a very high level, as was the case with Colombia, to beat Germany and see the national team we have, where not only is Linda Caicedo, if you look at the rest of the players they play abroad, since the majority play in Europe and that allows you that when the soccer player reaches a national team the level is much higher. It seems to me that this World Cup that within the conclusions that every time there are competitive teams and the favorites know who can complicate them. Secondly, women’s football is being seen more and more, because seeing the whole stadium full of people is beautiful and on the other hand, the emotion of seeing how people get up early to watch the World Cup on television, that says that women’s football is conquering a lot people, which shows that if it is really worth the effort that has been given to make it grow, it does have results. That seems wonderful to me and I think that each time these World Cups are showing that you have to bet on women’s soccer, since there are countries that have leagues that are a long way off. The World Cup is leaving us too high a point for there really to be a serious and good investment on the part of many countries, especially on our continent.

Maka Vidal – Journalist specialized in Women’s Soccer and NBA

1. A full-fledged fighter, who not only surprises with her goals but also with the way she faces obstacles every day. She is just 18 years old and has an extraordinary life story.

2. Putellas has an enviable career: 7 leagues, 6 Queen’s Cups, 2 Champions League, multiple Ballon d’Ors, etc. She is, without a doubt, the benchmark for Spanish-speaking women’s soccer. Caicedo has many years ahead of him and indescribable potential.

3. The historic triumph of Colombia allows us to dream, the level of competition of the girls, the executions on the field and the goals, indicate that they are the protagonists and deserve to monopolize the covers in the world. Women’s football may still have to grow further (there are still significant gaps to overcome); However, this World Cup demolishes the petty phrase that says that women’s soccer is boring. On the contrary, there is talent, magic and explosion.

Lucero Cardoza – Communicator

1. Linda Caicedo is the best player in the world at the moment. I don’t think she is a revelation because she already knew the capacity that she had before the World Cup was played. I would think that she is in a consolidation process that is constantly evolving and that has allowed her to reach a team like Real Madrid.

2. Alexia Putellas is one step ahead, but Linda is going to take her throne from her in the very near future.

3. At the moment, we have seen that the teams have become super competitive. In general terms, I think that the football gap that existed in previous editions has been shortened.

Solange Soto – Journalist for El Comercio

1. What defines Linda in her two matches in the World Cup is her freshness to face and how lethal she is in attack. The Colombian is projected as one of the youngest goalscorers in the Tournament. It all depends on her how far her selection goes. For now, she’s totally in a tough Group.

2. It is difficult to enter into this comparison because Alexia Putellas is endorsed by two Ballon d’Ors and experience, but in this World Cup she is falling behind with only one assist in 3 games. Linda Caicedo has everything to be a candidate to make up the best eleven in the world cup and follow her football path in the women’s Real Madrid. In this World Cup she is already writing her history and today she is the best.

3. The World Cup is showing us that there are no favourites, that each National Team is getting the best out of it. Colombia demonstrated it by knocking down Germany in their Group. Australia thrashed Canada to qualify and Spain, which should lead without problems, their Group was thrashed and dominated by Japan. Even the United States does not go to the next phase. Youth, great goals, fall of giants. We are still at the beginning of this Cup, in the next few days the best is coming: direct eliminations.

Luccina Aparicio – ESPN

1. Linda Caicedo’s thing is huge, breaking records, being a South American player. She leaves her country’s name high, and ends up inspiring many girls around the world.

2. Putellas is a player with more experience in Europe (women’s soccer power), comparing them is somewhat complicated because they come from different realities in terms of training. But today Linda Caicedo has managed to reach Europe based on discipline and much sacrifice. She is amazing!

3. That there are teams that arrive surprisingly, this World Cup is no longer like the ones before that had clear favorites, now this World Cup is one of revelations and we hope that the rest is like that.