World Cup 2019 kickoff: U.S. women's team prepares for first game with "so much left to prove"
The 2019 Women's World Cup kicks off today in France, celebrating a huge rise in popularity for women's soccer. Organizers expect to attract one billion TV viewers around the world, 25 percent more than the 2015 tournament won by Team USA. And at the site of opening ceremonies in Paris, a stadium that sits 50,000 people, all the tickets for the first game were sold out within 48 hours.
As women's soccer has become more popular, it's also become more competitive. Team USA is heading to Paris Friday, after spending 10 days in England to train and come together as a team.
"We all want to obviously go on and hopefully win this World Cup, but here, training, it's about bringing out the best in ourselves," said Crystal Dunn, a defender who will be competing in her first World Cup.
Co-captain Megan Rapinoe, who will make her third appearance at the World Cup this year, said she feels like she "has so much left to prove."
These women are all familiar with one another. For years, they've played together in different leagues across the U.S. Now, with a mix of new and veteran players, this team is hoping to win America's fourth Women's World Cup.
Team USA first lifted the trophy in 1991. But it was the tense shoot-out in 1999 that captivated America. Brandi Chastain led the team to victory, turning players into stars and skeptics into supporters.
By 2015, the U.S.-Japan final became the most watched soccer game -- women's or men's -- in U.S. history.
To win this year, the U.S. will have to beat tougher competition than ever, like teams from Germany, England, and host nation France.
But win or lose, it won't defeat America's growing love for the sport. An estimated 2 million girls across the United States now play soccer.
High school senior Julia Dohle trains at a soccer academy in New York. "If I will be in the next Women's World Cup, that's my dream," Dohle said, adding "The people playing at this World Cup, you know they're all inspirations because they've pushed the sport in ways that we can't even imagine."
Dunn wants the U.S. team to inspire the next generation of players by "stepping on the pitch and being like 'I want to win this game and I'm going to do whatever it takes'" she said, adding "it's about grinding through these games and being that last team standing."
The women's team has been facing challenges off the field, too. Twenty-eight players have sued U.S. Soccer alleging gender discrimination -- and here at the World Cup, they're calling for equal prize money.
CBS will have more on that battle Tuesday, as the U.S. gears up for its first game of the tournament.
