Women's World Cup 2023 predictions: Karen Carney on England's chances and top contenders
Former England international Karen Carney offers her predictions for the Women's World Cup 2023 tournament ahead.

The Women's World Cup is fast approaching and the excitement is building across the nation – with former England star Karen Carney among the most excited fans after hanging up her boots.
Carney retired in 2019 following her fourth World Cup adventure, meaning this is the first for the Lionesses without her in the squad since 2003.
The 35-year-old is now a familiar face across multiple channels on live football broadcasts and has recently chaired a major review into women's football and how it can grow in the future.
Carney has made numerous recommendations to improve the underlying health of the domestic and international game, but is now looking forward to sitting back and enjoying the tournament to come.
She said: "I'm actually really excited, I'm working on it. I've got to peace with not playing four years on, so I'm extremely excited to broadcast on it and watch loads of football.
"I've been working on different projects, as I'm sure you're aware, so for me to now sit back and watch football, the thing I love, I'm actually super excited!"
Predictions are swirling across the internet as anticipation for the tournament grows, and Carney offered her own thoughts ahead of the Women's World Cup 2023.
RadioTimes.com brings you Carney's predictions for the tournament ahead, including what she expects from England.
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Women's World Cup 2023 predictions
Favourites
KC: USA are the reigning champions and their mentality has always set them apart, but now I think the other teams are catching up. Yes, they're going in as favourites, but I think a lot of people, when you are reigning champions, will want to knock you off your pedestal. They'll be up for the fight, the Americans, but I think there's a lot of people that want to take that trophy home and rightly so.
Contenders
KC: I saw Spain, I've watched France recently with their new manager and the way that they're playing. My gut is saying France. Australia, I'm really impressed with them when they played England on home soil at Brentford, and obviously they'e the host nation. Germany will no doubt want revenge.
England's chances
KC: My heart, of course, wants them to win it. I think it will be very tricky at the quarter-final stage. I think quarter-finals onwards – it was the same at the Euros – every team has an opportunity to win it. And I think this will be the closest tournament we've had to date.
There are so many good teams England, at the quarter-final stage, will really have to dig deep and go to places perhaps we've not seen the team have to go, and part of that's down to injuries and a freshen up of the squad.
Sarina Wiegman has a style. She's really big on wide play. Our wingers are going to be really, really key in that. Keira Walsh has rightly got the plaudits, finally, for being incredible.
Georgia Stanway moved to Germany, she's been brilliant over there and really matured into her role. And Mary Earps, a phenomenal journey and she's had a brilliant season for Manchester United. However, it's not about individuals with England - I think they will have to really pull together as a team.
There have been injuries so I think they'll have to grow as a team even more so and dig deep. We've got an incredible manager who is pragmatic, who is adaptable. I hope we can really kick on and gain confidence, momentum, out of the group stage and into the knockout tournament, as we did in the Euros.
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Authors

Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.