Women's World Cup winners and losers: Aitana Bonmati confirms her superstar status as USWNT star Megan Rapinoe's last dance goes wrong

Spain came into this tournament with so much noise around them. After calls for change within the federation followed last year's European Championship, 15 players withdrew from selection for the national team and only three returned for this World Cup.

That meant they were without stars such as Mapi Leon, widely regarded as the best centre-back in the world; Patri Guijarro, Player of the Match in the Women's Champions League final in June; and Claudia Pina, one of Spain's brightest young talents.

But the federation stuck with head coach Jorge Vilda, despite Mundo Deportivo reporting his 'excessive control' and the players' desire for 'greater demand in training'. Had Spain endured a disappointing World Cup, perhaps greater questions would be asked of that decision in the aftermath. However, their triumph will certainly quieten that noise and benefit Vilda.

This was meant to be Sam Kerr's tournament. One of the best players on the planet and the face of the Australia women's national team, this was supposed to be a dream for her, a chance for her to captain her team to levels they'd never before reached, and all on home soil.

In the end, it was a fantastic tournament for the Matildas, who reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in their history. But for Kerr it will be bittersweet, as a calf injury completely limited her on-pitch involvement in that success.

That team-mate and close friend Steph Catley described her absence from the opening game as "one of the most heart-breaking moments of [her] career" said it all. Kerr did get her moment in the semi-finals, Stadium Australia erupting when her thunderous strike flew over Mary Earps and into the top corner to level the scores against England, and it is a moment that will stick with so many Matildas fans forever.

But she'll be rueing those two missed chances that followed it, before England ran out 3-1 winners. If she'd have been fully fit, instead of that being her first start of the tournament, she'd have probably put them away, too.

This World Cup was an absolutely massive one for Africa, with each of Nigeria, Morocco and South Africa qualifying from really tough groups to reach the last 16.

For Morocco, it was a big nod to the strong work the federation has done investing in women's football and committing to supporting the sport more. The country did a fantastic job at last year's Women's Africa Cup of Nations, both in how it was hosted and that the national team reached the final, and their successful debut at the World Cup was another huge step in the right direction.

Nigeria and South Africa, meanwhile, sent messages to their federations with their performances. Both teams have been surrounded by off-field chaos before, during and after the tournament, but they did their talking on the pitch in Australia and New Zealand, showcasing the wonderful talent they have and the fantastic football they can play.

Hopefully this is the latest sign that women's football is massively on the rise in Africa and there will be more investment and, thus, success stories in the near future.

Sweden have reached the semi-finals in seven of their last nine major tournaments and yet winning one continues to elude them.

The Scandinavian nation have long had an incredible generation of talent, with the likes of Barcelona star Fridolina Rolfo, AC Milan playmaker Kosovare Asllani, and Magdalena Eriksson, the long-time Chelsea captain before her summer switch to Bayern Munich, all in the 23 for this year's World Cup. But getting over the line and getting their hands on a major title continues to be beyond them.

At the weekend, they claimed a third World Cup bronze medal in 12 years to go alongside the two Olympic silver medals they've collected in that same timeframe. They had a real chance to make this final, too, scoring a late equaliser in the last four against Spain, only to lose all that momentum when they conceded the winning goal moments later.

Will they ever be able to go all the way on these big stages?

There weren't many nations that came into this World Cup without being in a row with their federations over something, be it conditions, resources, support, prize money or something else. But each and every one of them showed they are worth so much more than whatever they are currently getting.

Jamaica had to set up a GoFundMe page in order to prepare properly for the tournament, and yet they flew across the world and reached the knockout stages for the first time in the country's history.

Nigeria's Ifeoma Onumonu opened up on Nigeria's lack of resources after their run to the last 16, even saying that sometimes the players have to share beds. Yet, she and her team were the width of the crossbar away from beating England and reaching the quarter-finals.

South Africa's first team didn't play their penultimate friendly before the tournament because of the state of the pitch, all while there was a dispute going on about prize money from the World Cup. Still, Banyana Banyana progressed beyond the group stages for the first time and were a tricky opponent for the Netherlands to overcome.

Even England, the eventual runners-up and a nation often seen as one of those that leads the way in women's football, had a dispute with the Football Association over prize money.

Women's football shouldn't have to prove its worth, but the players showed they are worth investing in at this incredibly entertaining tournament.

Germany came into this tournament as one of the front-runners to win it - if not the front-runner. That their tournament ended in the group stages, then, was a massive, massive shock. It was possibly the biggest shock in Women's World Cup history, even. This was a team that had never lost in the group stage of any major tournament, after all.

The German Football Association will no doubt have some soul-searching to do and there will be questions asked over Martina Voss-Tecklenburg's future, the head coach who only signed a new deal back in April. That contract will see her take charge of the team for the Olympics next summer and the Euros the year after, if indeed Germany qualify for both.

Can she and Germany bounce back and put this behind them?

The only host of a Women's World Cup to have a better tournament than the one Australia just had was the United States in 1999, when they won the trophy. The Matildas reached a semi-final for the first time on home soil and they captured the hearts of a nation while doing so.

Attendance and television records were smashed as millions got behind the team, while the scenes of people watching on planes and thousands piling into viewing parties painted a picture of a game-changing month.

It's massive for women's football in Australia. It could do wonders for the domestic league and the interest in that and for future generations, with players already calling for more investment and support at all levels.

It's also huge for many of the stars of the past few weeks. The likes of Clare Hunt and Kyra Cooney-Cross are surely in line for top-quality transfers which will benefit them individually as well as the national team, and there are certainly others who will have caught the eye who could be available, too, as Australia proved that they have one of the best teams in international football.

After the resignation of Italy head coach Milena Bertolini, U.S. women's national team boss Vlatko Andonovski became the second casualty of a poor Women's World Cup campaign when he stepped down from his post last week.

The 46-year-old oversaw the USWNT's worst performance at the tournament in its history, with it having got to the semi-finals of every other World Cup before this year's exit in the last 16.

It was a sorry end to a poor tenure which saw questions raised throughout, especially after the side had disappointed in Andonovski's first major tournament, the Olympic Games in 2021 ending with a bronze medal. He had to be successful in Australia and New Zealand, then, but sadly for him and his team, he was not and has paid the price with his job.

Aitana Bonmati was the best player in Europe last season. She was absolutely outstanding as Barcelona won the league, Super Cup and Women's Champions League, with no player directly involved in more goals in the latter competition than Bonmati herself.

Before the World Cup began, few disagreed that she deserved to win the Ballon d'Or, then, but major tournaments can have a real impact on these individual awards. Sometimes the star of one can suddenly become the front-runner for the highest accolades based on just six games.

Bonmati's Golden Ball-winning role in Spain's incredible World Cup, however, has only strengthened her chances of claiming that Ballon d'Or in a few months' time.

One of the biggest stories of the World Cup was Norway and what was going on with them on and off the pitch. Despite having a squad stacked with talent - including the likes of Lyon's Ada Hegerberg, Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen and Chelsea's Guro Reiten - the Scandinavian nation have consistently underperformed in recent years.

After crashing out in the group stages of last year's Euros, losing 8-0 to England along the way, they were staring the same fate in the face at the World Cup. Before their do-or-die meeting with the Philippines, and after Graham Hansen had been very vocal herself, NRK reported that there was discontent within the squad over the methods of head coach Hege Riise's methods. Indeed, the report said that the players had specifically asked for an external appointment to be made before Riise, who had been in charge of Norway's Under-19s, got the job.

Norway did manage to get out of the group stages, but their last-16 exit at the hands of Japan means that the questions around her and this team will not go away anytime soon.

Since winning the World Cup in 2011 and reaching the final again four years later, Japan's position as a force in women's football had diminished. Beaten in the first knockout round at both the 2019 World Cup and the 2021 Olympics, the Nadeshiko were also defeated in the semi-finals of the 2022 Asian Cup despite winning the previous two editions.

During this tournament, though, they reasserted themselves as a power in the sport. Futoshi Ikeda shone as a coach, especially in adapting his team's style to beat eventual winners Spain 4-0, and a number of young players rose to the fore as well to give Japan a real positive feeling about the future.

Nineteen-year-old Aoba Fujino was absolutely superb, 23-year-old Jun Endo was one of the stars of the group stages, Hinata Miyazawa - also 23 - won the Golden Boot and 24-year-old Riko Ueki was excellent despite not being a regular starter. In fact, only one player in the whole squad was over the age of 30, which makes you believe there is a really bright future for this very exciting team.

So many iconic names in women's football came into this World Cup knowing that it was going to be their 'last dance'. This was going to be the last appearance on this stage for Brazil's magical Marta, USWNT star Megan Rapinoe and Sweden legend Caroline Seger. At 40 years old, many expect this to be Christine Sinclair's last World Cup, too, the all-time international goal-scorer who has been to six editions with Canada.

All four of them would've loved to bow out in glorious fashion and yet, every single one of them endured a nightmare farewell to the competition. Marta and Sinclair were eliminated in the group stages despite Brazil and Canada both being in the top eight in the FIFA world rankings.

Rapinoe's exit was one she described as "a sick joke", the USWNT icon, a two-time World Cup winner and the player who won the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot back in 2019, missing her penalty as her nation crashed out on penalties in the last 16.

Seger, meanwhile, helped Sweden to reach the semi-finals of a major tournament for the seventh time since her senior debut in 2005, but once again they failed to get over the line when it really mattered.

The cases of all four acted as reminders of just how cruel football can be.

After disappointment in 2021 and 2022, this World Cup was one of personal redemption for Alex Greenwood. The Manchester City star was a surprise omission from Hege Riise's Great Britain squad for the Olympics two years ago, something she described as "complete heartbreak".

Twelve months on, she looked set to start for England at a home Euros, partnering Millie Bright in the heart of defence while Leah Williamson played in midfield. But a late decision to move the latter into centre-back again meant Greenwood was restricted to the role of a substitute as the Lionesses triumphed.

At this World Cup, though, she started every single game for her country and was one of the most outstanding performers of the tournament. She seems to be finally getting the plaudits she deserves, too, as one of the best centre-backs around.