Drawn in Group F of the competition and ranked 43rd in the world, Jamaica's campaign begins against France in Sydney (23rd July 2023), before the Reggae Girlz face group outsiders Panama (29th July, also in Sydney) and favourites Brazil (2nd August, in Melbourne).
Speaking to Palace's official matchday programme earlier this season, Bailey-Gayle reflected on her first season with the Eagles, and what playing at a World Cup would mean to her.
Whenever I played against Palace I faced a good side that was hard to break down and was able to finish high in the table. So when I left my last club, Leicester City, last summer, I got in touch with the club and everything I heard made Palace sound like the perfect fit.
After spending seven years in Arsenal’s Centre of Excellence I signed my first professional contract with Leicester aged 17 in the Women’s Championship.
With my fellow Palace players Aimee Everett and Annabel Johnson in the team, we got promoted to the Super League in 2020/21, and after a season in the top-flight I felt I wanted to step back into the Championship to get more minutes under my belt.
Promotion is hard to navigate because you’re playing against world-class players, but the experience teaches you what you need to thrive at that level. At Palace we want to get promoted, and a lot of the girls have WSL experience.