BERKELEY – The eyes of the sporting world will be on France this summer as the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup kicks off Friday featuring the top soccer players on the globe. Four Cal women's soccer players – current and present – will be among that contingent, with Daisy Cleverley, Betsy Hassett, Alex Morgan, and Miranda Nild set to represent their respective nations. Cleverley – a current member of the Golden Bears' squad – and Hassett have been named to the New Zealand squad, while Morgan and the reigning champion United States are back to defend their 2015 title. Nild, who graduated just weeks ago, will be making her World Cup debut representing Thailand.

Cal's four student-athletes in France are tied for the fourth-most by any college in the United States while Cleverley is one of only nine current Division I women's soccer players named to a roster for the 2019 Women's World Cup. The rosters for all 24 nations at the 2019 World Cup can be found here, along with additional match information throughout the tournament.
 
The Cal contingent kicks off play on June 11, with New Zealand taking on the Netherlands at 6 a.m. PT in Le Havre, France, followed by a clash between the United States and Thailand at 12 p.m. PT in Reims. The Football Ferns will then continue play in Group E with matches against Canada (June 15) and Cameroon (June 20). After opening the tournament against Thailand, the United States will then take on Chile (June 16) and Sweden (June 20), while Thailand faces Sweden in Nice, France before closing out the Group Stage against Chile on June 20.
 
The top two teams from each of the six groups will advance to the Round of 16, along with the four best third-place teams. The Knockout Stage begins on June 22 and culminates with the World Cup final in Lyon on July 7.

Morgan and the United States head to France looking to defend their 2015 title and win the World Cup for the fourth time in the nation's history. Each of the three previous Women's World Cup-winning campaigns for the United States have featured at least one Golden Bear on the roster, with Mary Harvey (1991), Joy Biefeld Fawcett (1991, 1999) and Morgan (2015) all helping the U.S. Women's National Team take home the trophy. Morgan will be making her third trip to the World Cup, debuting in 2011 and helping the United States to victory in Canada in 2015. She enters the tournament with 162 caps and 101 international goals, good for sixth on the U.S. Women's National Team's all-time scoring list. Morgan played for the Golden Bears from 2007-10, where she was an All-Conference selection, All-American, and Hermann Trophy finalist.
 
Nild - also known by her Thai name, Suchawadee Nildhamrong – will be making her World Cup debut with Thailand and squaring off against Morgan and the United States on June 11. A forward for the Bears and the team's offensive MVP in 2017, Nild served as a team captain in 2018 and graduated in May with her degree in American Studies. Nild, who grew up in Castro Valley, Calif. but qualifies for Thai citizenship through her father, Jerry, was first called up by the Thailand Women's National team in 2017 and helped Thailand qualify for its second Women's World Cup by reaching the semifinals at the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

Ranked No. 19 in the world, New Zealand will be making its fourth consecutive appearance at the Women's World Cup and features a pair of Golden Bears in Cleverley and Hassett. One of only nine current Division I players named to a roster for 2019 Women's World Cup, Cleverley made her senior national team debut in 2014 and has two goals in eight caps. Cleverley was a member of the Football Ferns squad that competed at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, though she did not see game action, and also served as an alternate at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. A strong presence in the midfield, Cleverley has successfully returned to the international stage after suffering a season-ending knee injury late in her freshman campaign at Cal. Cleverley returned to the pitch this season, making 12 starts for the Golden Bears and earning Second Team Academic All-District and Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention recognition. An Environmental Economics and Policy major, Cleverley has been a consistent presence in camp for the Football Ferns as of late and saw time in the Cup of Nations.

Cleverley is joined in the midfield by Hassett, a fellow Golden Bear and one of the most-capped players in New Zealand Women's National Team history. Hassett has appeared in 113 matches for the Football Ferns, helping set up the game-winning goal in their recent 1-0 win over third-ranked England in preparation for World Cup play. She will be making her third trip to the World Cup, having played in every group stage match in both 2011 and 2015. Hassett is also a two-time Olympian, competing at the summer games in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016. An All-Pac-12 and All-Academic honoree while playing for Cal from 2009-12, Hassett currently plays for Icelandic club KR Reykajvik, having previously spent time with Manchester City, SV Werder Bremen, and Ajax.

For more information and updates throughout the year, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWSoc), Instagram (@CalWSoc), and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWSoc).

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Group Stage Matches

Date	Matchup	Time (PT)	Location
June 11	New Zealand vs Netherlands (Group E)	6 a.m.	Le Havre, France
June 11	United States vs Thailand (Group F)	12 p.m.	Reims, France
June 15	Canada vs New Zealand (Group E)	12 p.m.	Grenoble, France
June 16	Sweden vs Thailand (Group F)	6 a.m.	Nice, France
June 16	United States vs Chile (Group F)	9 a.m.	Paris, France
June 20	Cameroon vs New Zealand (Group E)	9 a.m.	Montpellier, France
June 20	Sweden vs United States (Group F)	12 p.m.	Le Havre,  France
June 20	Thailand vs Chile (Group F)	12 p.m.	Rennes, France