After years of flying under the radar in international soccer, the Canadian women's team has become a side to fear due to its exploits at the last three Olympics.
Back-to-back bronze medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 only wet the appetite, as capturing gold in Tokyo in 2021 cemented Canada's status as an elite nation in the women's game.
But for all of the Canadians' accomplishments at the Olympics, success at the FIFA World Cup has eluded them. A semifinal appearance at the 2003 tournament gave way to a string of forgettable showings, including a humbling last-place finish in 2011 and a disappointing quarterfinal exit on home soil four years later.
Coach Bev Priestman's team will be aiming to capitalize on its gold medal run in Tokyo and finally shed its reputation as World Cup underachievers at this summer's tournament July 20-Aug.