FIFA Women's World Cup: Matildas set to inspire next generation of stars

Her soccer teammates are turning up to training in Matildas jerseys, everyone is trying to replicate Sam Kerr and everywhere she turns she hears people talking about the World Cup.

The four-year-old, however, is struggling to understand just how big the event is going to be. In fact, few of us can grasp the magnitude of the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup.

The tournament is set to be the highest attended women's sporting event in history and will shine a spotlight on soccer for both casual and hardcore fans.

The hype is contagious. The Matildas face France in front of a record crowd of 50,000 in Melbourne on Friday night, their final hitout before they attempt to create history.

Friday's crowd will pale in comparison to what the Australian team will experience on Thursday when it kicks off its World Cup campaign in front of more than 80,000 fans in Sydney.

Charlotte won't have the opportunity to watch the World Cup in person but struggled to put into words how excited she is for the next six weeks.

"I'm really excited," Charlotte said.

"I think the Matildas can win. It would be cool if they did."

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The awarding of the women's World Cup to Australia and New Zealand in 2020 has been seen by many as a watershed moment.

The Matildas' rapid rise has only accelerated in the years since, the side developing into one of the country's most-loved national teams.

The World Cup, however, is a different stage altogether. Thirty-two teams engaging in 64 matches across nine cities in front of more than 1 million fans.

Many Australian stars, such as Sam Kerr and Caitlin Foord are already household names, but the next six weeks promises to launch the entire team into the stratosphere.

"The longer Australia go in the tournament, the more impact there will be for women's football and women's sport in this country," Monash University's Dr Thomas Heenan said.

"You will have players coming out of this event who are not just well-known in Europe, but well-known in Australia."

Should everything go to plan, the World Cup will plant a seed inside the mind of Charlotte, her older sister Hayley and thousands of girls across the country.

The pair have grown up with a soccer ball at their feet and the progression of women's sport in that time has been rapid.

Father Rob has coached women's teams for a number of years and even he didn't anticipate how quickly things would change.

"It's been great watching the sport grow and develop at the top level and at the grassroots," Rob said. "It's given the younger girls a huge opportunity to take soccer as far as they want.

"Now they can be professionals and it's a career."

Whether the Scott girls from Canberra follow the path to a professional career remains to be seen.

What we do know is a host of future Matildas will be inspired to build on the legacy left by Kerr, Foord and co.

Tournament dates: Thursday, July 20 to Sunday, August 20.

How to watch: Matildas matches on Channel 7, all games live on Optus Sport.

Matildas opponents: Ireland (July 20), Nigeria (July 27), Canada (July 31).

Warm-up: Australia v France, Friday 7.30pm (AEST).