FIFA Women's World Cup: Julie Dolan backs Matildas to win World Cup

In fact, it looms as the biggest standalone women's sporting event in history.

But beyond the hype and the World Cup fever, there's a nagging question in the back of everyone's minds. Can the Matildas actually do it? Can they - the No. 13 ranked team in the world - win it all?

Foundation Matildas captain Julie Dolan thinks so. Regarded as one of the greatest Matildas of all, Dolan says the current crop has what it takes to hoist the trophy in front of a home crowd.

Just the thought of it is enough to make the hairs at the back of your neck stand up. You don't have to be a Matildas diehard, you just have to believe.

The Matildas begin their campaign with a match against Ireland in Sydney on Thursday night and sell-out crowds will follow them around Australia for their other two group games against Nigeria and Canada.

Usually you throw out pre-tournament form because "anything can happen" when the Cup starts. But Dolan, who was 18 when she first captained Australia, says the pre-tournament form is exactly why she thinks the Matildas can go all the way.

"Given that in the last three years Australia have been involved in games against some of the better teams in the world, if not the best teams in the world and having scored some runs against them, I think we're shaping up pretty well," she said.

"And also what's happened over the past three years is we've flooded a lot of newer, younger players, that we've never seen before and now they've all got big match experience.

"If they're on the park they're quite capable of being on the first team but if they're not on the park, they're going to be equally as good as any of the other regular first team.

"So overall I'm fairly confident that the girls will go good. I think it's also about believing in yourself, believing in your team mates."

The bulk of the Matildas squad is based in Europe. Over recent years, they've stepped away from A-League Women's duties in Australia and tested themselves in the United States, and then England, France, Italy and further abroad to get crucial experience.

Sam Kerr is the star. No one disputes she's one of the best individuals in the world, but she'll have to carry the likes of Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord and others with her to achieve the ultimate goal.

And the journey to get to kick-off this week hasn't always been smooth.

Gustavsson has been under pressure to perform. There have been question marks about his tactics over the past two years, but Dolan said the Swede had done a sensational job in preparing the squad for the Cup.

"He coped a battering but he was given that task to get games against world class opposition and it's pointless playing against teams that are not even going to feature in the World Cup," Dolan said.

"So we have been playing against the world class teams and that was part of his brief and another part of his brief was to get these new players in there because some of our players are ageing.

"So we're looking for the future as well as trying to bring home a World Cup. It's been a big ask and I think he's done a pretty good job."

But it won't be smooth sailing. The United States are chasing a third Cup win in a row, the Netherlands are out for revenge, Canada wants to add another win after claiming Olympic Games gold. The contenders are lining up.

Did we mention England? They won 30 games in a row before the Matildas beat them earlier this year.

"If it's not to be Australia, England look like a cracking side," she added.

"The US is still going to be very strong and I would imagine some of the teams from Europe are certainly going to be up there in the semis.

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"So it just depends on the confidence that the Matildas have and they should have every confidence in the way that they've been playing and how they put it together on the park.

"They need to not get distracted and just focus on what they've done in the lead up to the World Cup.

"But it is a big ask."