France are in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, sharing Group F with Brazil, Panama, and Jamaica. This is a relatively easy group for the French women to reach the knockout stage, but without Marie-Antoinette Katoto in the squad, things could be more complicated than usual.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto is a dangerous striker. She has only 32 caps with the French national team, but she has shown that she is a key piece in the attacking strategy. Without her, the team is losing speed and precision.
Despite the fact that France has never won a Women’s World Cup before, the current senior team has enough power to not only reach the knockout stage, but to go far and at least fight for one of the top three places at the end of the tournament.
Why is Marie-Antoinette Katoto not playing in the 2023 Women’s World Cup?
Katoto has been injured since 2022. She suffered an ACL injury during an international game against Belgium that year. In addition to the injury, she announced in February 2023 that she would not be playing for the national team anymore, as she did not agree with how things were being handled within the team.
Katoto has only 32 caps with the French national team, but she has scored 26 international goals since 2018. This makes her one of the top strikers who will not be available for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Since 2015, she has been playing for Paris Saint-Germain, where she has scored 108 goals in 113 appearances. She is the most lethal striker on the team and has been a key player in winning European tournaments.