The best moments of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

Over the last month there have been some showstopping moments. Fans globally but also locally made the tournament what it was. Packed out stadiums, live sites and record television numbers in Australia contributed to a wild ride.

So what were the best moments?

Let's start with a couple of Matildas moments before moving onto the best from the Cup as a whole. Whilst the Matildas were knocked out in the semi-final against England, it didn't stop Sam Kerr - who had been injured with a calf strain for the majority of the tournament - from a world stopping goal in the second half.

Whilst the Lionesses were on top in the first half and had a 1-0 lead in the break to show for it, Australia looked for a moment as if they were going to come over the top of the visitors after Kerr picked up the ball on half way.

The captain ran at her Chelsea teammate Millie Bright and everyone in the stadium thought she would try and go past the defender but she didn't bother. The striker unleashed from outside the box and slammed the ball in the top corner.

Cue 75,784 fans - maybe minus a few England supporters - going absolutely nuts. Until Lauren Hemp put England back in the lead, it looked as though Kerr had put Australia into a World Cup final. But it wasn't to be.

The Australian goalkeeper had her own 'Sam Kerr' moment in the quarter finals against France but it could have quite easily gone all wrong.

The West Ham product was tasked with taking the winning penalty but couldn't convert, meaning she had to go back between the sticks to save the game for her team.

She sent Lang Park wild after saving Kenza Dali's penalty but the joy was short-lived after it was revealed by VAR that she had actually stepped off the line prematurely.

Some would have been forgiven for thinking it wasn't the Matildas night. But Dali put her second penalty in the same spot and Arnold did a double take, lifting Australian spirits and sending them on their way to the semis.

Illawarra Mercury photographers Anna Warr and Adam MacLean covered the Matildas games in Sydney for the ACM network. These are the moments they will treasure most.

Anna Warr: After her spectacular long-range goal against England, Sam Kerr let out a tremendous roar in celebration.

It was an incredible moment, where the frustration of sitting on the sideline for most of the tournament and the pressure of carrying the hopes of the nation were finally let out.

In that moment she proved why she is one of the best footballers in the world.

Adam McLean: Caitlin Ford with her hand to her ear after scoring against Denmark is at the top of my list. She's a Wollongong local and I've been photographing her on and off for the past 10 years or so.

It was great to see the local that I've photographed as a young player in the Illawarra at the top of her game on the world stage. The roar of the crowd when she scored was deafening.

The USA were extremely confident of winning three in a row, but were humbled by Sweden in the round of 16 after going down 5-4 on penalties in the most dramatic of fashions.

The States just did not find their best form throughout the entire tournament and despite having the best of it against the Swedes, they could not get the job done in 120 minutes which paved the way for a toss of the coin type battle to see who would get through to the quarters.

Lina Hurtig powered her penalty and it looked initially to have been stopped by USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher but after dramatic intervention from VAR, Sweden started cheering with the ball going over the line by a hair length.

Sweden ended the tournament with the bronze medal after beating Australia.

The 18-year-old scored the second in Columbia's 2-0 win against South Korea. It was a sensational moment with her career almost cut short before it had even began due to cancer just three years prior.

It only showcased how important football is both on and off the pitch.

The World Cup enabled Caicedo to make her presence known and she will always remember the tournament.

Who could forget the final day of the tournament?

Spain took out the World Cup with a 1-0 win against England thanks to a goal and a player of the match performance from captain Olga Carmona.

There was so much drama. A first half goal, VAR interventions, a missed penalty and 13 minutes of stoppage time.

It really summed up the intensity of the tournament and in the end, Spain were the best.