Alisha Lehmann's Inspirational Journey: From a Swiss Village to World Cup

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Switzerland winger Alisha Lehmann opens up about her remarkable journey from a small village in Switzerland to the grand stage of the Women’s World Cup. With Switzerland drawn against the Philippines, Norway, and New Zealand in their group, Lehmann reflects on her humble upbringing and how it continues to shape her perspective.

Growing up in the outskirts of Bern, Lehmann fondly remembers playing street football all day with friends. Life was simple, with the occasional interruption of shouting “Car! Move!” when vehicles passed by. Now, as she prepares for the Women’s World Cup, Lehmann remains humble, constantly reminded of her roots.

Being part of Switzerland’s 23-player squad for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Lehmann acknowledges that her status has never been higher. Nevertheless, the memories of those kick bouts in her hometown remain close to her heart.

Representing her country holds great significance for Lehmann, and she expresses her anticipation for the upcoming tournament. Playing in the World Cup has been a lifelong dream, and she eagerly awaits the opportunity to step onto the field and make it a reality.

“I actually can’t wait to play this World Cup. I was waiting all my life to do this because it’s the biggest thing when you’re a kid. You dream about the big World Cup and playing it’.

“It’s the biggest dream of every single footballer. It’s amazing and I can’t wait to be on the field and start it.”

While Switzerland is often considered a dark horse in men’s tournament football, Lehmann believes the same potential exists for the women’s team. With talented players like Lia Walti, Ramona Bachmann, and Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic, Switzerland has a mix of rising stars and established names. Lehmann acknowledges the unpredictable nature of tournaments and emphasizes that Switzerland will give their all to make their country proud.

“I hope so. We have a lot of potential stars in our team, but also big names as well.”

As Lehmann prepares for the Women’s World Cup, she recognizes the significance of the tournament in the current landscape of women’s football. With increased popularity and support worldwide, Lehmann, who actively promotes the game through her extensive social media following, asserts that this is the most important World Cup in history.

While women’s football is yet to reach its pinnacle in Switzerland, Lehmann is optimistic about the future. Switzerland being chosen to host the 2025 European Championships has injected a surge of excitement. Lehmann hopes to showcase her country and generate greater interest in Swiss football, which currently receives limited attention compared to England.

“I love the fact that we can host it and we can show people our country – and that we can show people what Swiss football is.

“Football is not like what it is here in England, people don’t really care about it. This is the best thing that could happen to us.”

Above all, Lehmann’s motivation stems from making her family proud. She cherishes the moments when her mother expresses pride in her achievements and strives to continue bringing joy to her loved ones.

Alisha Lehmann’s Women’s World Cup Predictions!

As a bonus, Lehmann shares her Women’s World Cup predictions: she favors England as the overall winners, followed by the USA as runners-up. Lehmann believes Switzerland could emerge as a surprise package, with a team full of potential. She also predicts Rachel Daly to claim the top goalscorer title and praises Lauren James as the standout player of the tournament.

Overall winners: England.

“They are an amazing team and they showed at the Euros that they can win a tournament.“

Runners-up: USA.

“They are always a strong team, they won World Cups before.”

Surprise package: Switzerland.

“We have a lot of potential and we can even be better.”

Top goalscorer: Rachel Daly.

“She scored so many goals this season, she broke the WSL record here.”

Player of the tournament: Lauren James.

“She’s a young player, big talent and for me she’s the best player in the world.”