The 2023 Women's World Cup semifinal gripped Australia in a way that few sporting events have achieved. On any level it was transformative, capturing the highest TV audience since records began and ending in the longest penalty shootout in World Cup history. To chronicle the euphoric road to the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fiona Crawford draws on interviews with players, administrators, sponsors and fans ranging from Mackenzie Arnold, Bruce McAvaney to Annabel Crabb, skilfully unpicking questions of gender, human rights, race and women's sports. The Rise and Rise of the Matildas highlights the astonishing impact of one team's determination to leave the game in a better place.