"To be honest, I cried. I cried a lot," says Vanina Correa, who is about to captain Argentina in New Zealand at the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup. The veteran goalkeeper, who was in the squad for the 2003 edition in the United States, is talking about her emotions when the national men's team were crowned world champions last December.
An estimated five million people poured on to the streets of Buenos Aires to give Lionel Messi and his team-mates a hero's welcome home after defeating France on penalties in the final in Qatar. Seven months on from those incredible scenes in Argentina's capital, La Albiceleste are preparing for their opening match at the Women's World Cup against Italy at Eden Park, Auckland, on 24 July (07:00 BST).
No country has managed to hold the World Cup for both the men and women at the same time. That is unlikely to change in the coming weeks. While Argentina are on top of the world in the men's game, the women - 28th in Fifa's rankings - have not won a match at their three previous appearances at the global tournament in 2003, 2007 and 2019.
That perhaps explains why there is little evidence in the football-obsessed country that boss German Portanova and his players are about to take part in the biggest women's sporting event.
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