FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015: Eni Aluko and Asisat Oshoala among our 10 to watch

The FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 kicks off this Saturday when host nation Canada take on China in Edmonton.

From a veteran set to become the first player ever to feature in six World Cups to the striker deemed 'the female Zlatan Ibrahimovic' we look at 10 players who could light up the tournament. 

Homare Sawa - Japan

Sawa is Japan’s all-time leading goalscorer and will become the first player in history – male or female – to play in six World Cups if she is selected by manager Norio Sasaki for her country's opener against Switzerland. The 36-year-old was named Player of the Tournament in 2011 as Japan won their first ever World Cup. Sawa has made a record 197 international appearances, scoring 82 goals in the process and has also featured in four Olympic tournaments. Only two men have played in five World Cups: Lothar Matthaus of Germany and Mexico's Antonio Carbajal.

Eni Aluko - England

Aluko has been a player reborn under current England head coach Mark Sampson. The 28-year-old, who will play in her third World Cup, averaged less than a goal every four games under previous boss Hope Powell but has scored 19 in 28 under Sampson. The striker comes into the tournament full of confidence after collecting the Women’s Player of the Year accolade at Chelsea’s end-of-season awards last week.

Marta - Brazil

Brazilian Marta already has 15 years of top-level playing experience behind her, despite being just 29. The five-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year has scored 79 goals in 91 appearances and has won the league title in Sweden and America, as well as the South American Championship. The free-scoring forward has scored a total of 14 goals in the last three Women’s World Cups and needs just one more to become the outright leading scorer in the tournament’s history.

Christine Sinclair - Canada

Canada skipper Sinclair needs no extra motivation at the 2015 World Cup with the final taking place in Vancouver, less than six miles from where she was born. The experienced striker has played more than 200 games for her country and has a record 153 international goals to her name. The 31-year-old was the top scorer during the women’s football tournament at the London 2012 Olympics and has been named Canadian Soccer Player of the Year an astonishing 11 times.

Asisat Oshoala - Nigeria

Nigeria will rely on the talent of current African Footballer of the Year Oshoala if they are to progress to the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup for just the second time in their history. The forward was the standout player of last year’s U20 World Cup in Canada, netting seven times to finish as the tournament’s top goalscorer. The 20-year-old - who joined FA WSL 1 champions Liverpool from Nigerian title winners Rivers Angels in January - was also named as the tournament’s best player.

Ji So-yun - South Korea

South Korea and Chelsea Ladies forward Ji So-yun was last year tipped by club manager Emma Hayes as a future World Player of the Year contender. The youngest goalscorer in her country’s history, Ji was an instant hit when she moved to England from INAC Kobe Leonessa last year, scoring nine goals in 19 games. That saw her named FA WSL 1 Players’ Player of the Year and London Women’s Footballer of the Year, while in April, the 24-year-old also won the PFA Women’s accolade.

Alex Morgan - USA

The new golden girl of the United States Women’s National Team, Morgan has scored 51 international goals and was part of the team that won gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The 25-year-old was the youngest member of the US team that finished runner-up at the 2011 World Cup and scored the only goal of the game when they beat England in a friendly at Stadium MK in February. Despite struggling in recent weeks with a knee injury, the 2012 US Soccer Female Athlete of the Year insists she will be firing at “100%” when the tournament begins on June 6.

Lotta Scheilin - Sweden

Now in her 11th year as a full international, Schelin is a powerful and experienced striker who has drawn comparisons in her homeland with compatriot Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The 31-year-old is Sweden's all-time leading scorer and was named in the team of the tournament at the 2011 World Cup in Germany. Scheilin has spent the last seven years at Lyon, winning the league each of those seasons, as well as the UEFA Women’s Champions League twice and the International Club Championship once. Scheilin has scored 129 goals in 120 appearances for Lyon, including 34 last term, to finish top scorer in the French league.

Celia Sasic - Germany

A Champions League winner with FFC Frankfurt this season, Sasic has forged a reputation for herself as one of the most fearsome strikers in world football. England fans know all about Sasic after she scored two first-half goals in the 3-0 German win at Wembley last November. The 2012 German Female Footballer of the Year has more than 100 international caps to her name and is a two-time European Championships winner. The 26-year-old also won the U19 World Cup with Germany in 2004.

Veronica Boquete - Spain

Creative midfielder Boquete has a wealth of playing experience across the world and is expected to be Spain’s chief attacking threat as they play in the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history. Boquete was a UEFA Women’s Champions League runner-up with Tyreso in 2014 but went one better in Berlin last month, winning the crown with FFC Frankfurt. The 28-year-old, who was part of Spain’s U19 European Championship-winning side in 2004, has just signed for German title winners Bayern Munich Women.