Jessie Fleming: Canada Women captain on how mental health strategies has helped her football, 2026 World Cup and Portland Thorns

Stepping into any new role is daunting, let alone one that is the captain of your national football team - but that is just what Jessie Fleming did in 2024 for Canada.

She replaced Christine Sinclair as skipper - a legend of the women's game - and will lead her team into the latest round of World Cup qualification, which begins for Canada in November.

It was only six years ago that Fleming joined Chelsea at the age of just 22, with the midfielder developing her own mental health coping strategies as well as the perception of presence as she navigated her way through her career.