They are whip-smart, empowered and independent – as well as glamorous, naturally. Step forward, the next generation WAGs.

It's been 20 years since Coleen Rooney, Victoria Beckham, Alex Curran and Cheryl Tweedy were branded 'hooligans with visas' by a Spanish newspaper after their antics during the 2006 World Cup in Germany generated more headlines than the games. Perhaps reflecting different times, the new crop of wives and girlfriends are, overall, a more retiring bunch. Among those heading to the US in the coming days are a lawyer, engineer, marketing executive, intensive care nurse and interior designer. Brainy many of them may be, but like Coleen and co they're not above an occasional raucous night out. Or a designer shopping splurge for that matter. Their impact at the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada, though, which kicks off on June 11, is expected to be more low-key than that of their predecessors. That said, in a departure from the norm, they will join the players well before their first match. Coach Thomas Tuchel says: 'We will go very early to the US, earlier than maybe other teams. We will go there to prepare for the heat and the humidity. 'We will have an early camp that allows us a good mix between free time, family-friends time, and football.' Some of the partners will already be familiar to football fans. Harry Kane's wife Katie, a sports science graduate, for instance, is the undisputed Queen Bee. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford's wife Megan Davison, who usually leads the fashion show from the stands, might have a few rivals, however – among them Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham's girlfriend Ashlyn Castro, 27, a globe-trotting model and influencer who has 700,000 followers on Instagram.