NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Yale women's soccer alumnae Michelle Alozie and Reina Bonta will compete at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Alozie, a 2018 graduate, will represent Nigeria, while Bonta, a 2021 graduate of Yale, will represent the Philippines.
 
Alozie was a standout player that appeared in 49 contests for the Bulldogs between 2015 and 2018, amassing 19 goals and 13 assists along the way. Alozie was an Ivy League Co-Offensive Player of the Year, a unanimous First Team All-Ivy selection, a United Soccer Coaches All-Region selection, and the top vote-getter on the First Team All-New England ballot. Alozie currently plays for the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
 
Nigeria will be making its ninth appearance at the FIFA Women's World Cup. The squad drew into Group B with co-host Australia, Ireland, and Canada. On July 21, the team will square off against recent Olympic gold medalists, Canada, in the first game of the tournament.
 
Bonta was a United Soccer Coaches All-Region and All-Ivy League selection during her time with the Bulldogs. The defender played in 57 games and started 78 percent of those appearances. She currently plays professional soccer for the Santos Futebol Clube in Brazil's Brasileirão Feminin league. 
 
The Philippines qualified for the nation's first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup in January 2022 by reaching the semifinals of the AFC Women's Asian Cup in India. This World Cup appearance marks the first appearance of any gender or age level for the country. The team drew into Group A alongside co-host New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland. They will square off against Switzerland on July 21 in their tournament opener.
 
About the FIFA Women's World Cup

• This will be the ninth edition of the WWC in history that will feature 32 nations.
• The WWC is a quadrennially-played tournament.
• This year's tournament will be played in two countries, Australia and New Zealand.
• The tournament kicks off on July 20, 2023, and will run until August 19, 2023.