While browsing the Internet for questions and answers, I cannot help but express my own views on this issue. I would like to emphasize that this is not meant to praise or belittle anyone, and my insights will be interpreted differently by people with different mindsets.
As for Wang Frost, we have to admit that she enjoys a great reputation at home and is also quite famous in Asia, but there is still a distance to say that she has become an international star. Some people may not be convinced of this, thinking that Miss Football Asia is an international star. So let's ask: who are the international stars of Australian women's soccer, Katrina Gori, Caitlin Forde, and Carpenter? Have you heard of any of them? Actually, all three were Miss Asian Football and are still active, but they haven't made a notable mark on the international stage, or at least you won't hear about their popularity. In fact, fans in other countries have a similar level of awareness of Wang Frost.
Wang Frost, who is a phenomenon, is like a totem that represents the admiration and expectations people place on her. People want her to be strong and to lead the women's soccer team out of its predicament, and this strong expectation often overshadows the reality. Totem worship often leads to superstition, as does belief in dragons or gods. To become an international star, I think at least one of the following conditions needs to be fulfilled: first, to perform well in international competitions (e.g., World Cup, Olympics) and win the Golden Ball or Golden Boot; second, to have played for many years in the top league and become a key player in winning the championship, and have been awarded the league's MVP, as well as to lead the team to achieve outstanding results in intercontinental matches; and third, to have helped the team to win the championship in international competitions as a core player . These players are usually candidates for Miss International Football.
What about India's women's soccer team? They are quite low in the Asian women's football, hardly getting a chance to play in international tournaments and basically round robin in even Asian level tournaments. Even the women's soccer teams of the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand are better than them. However, many Indian women's soccer fans are convinced that captain Devi is the No. 1 international star, but the overall level of India is clearly dragging Devi down. Devi, like China's Wang Frost, is the female Messi and heroine of the nation. The only difference is that when Devi scored a goal for the Maldives women's soccer team, the Indians thought it was the highest international level, and even believed that as long as the coach used it well, Devi would be able to beat the U.S. women's soccer team. When Wang Shuang scored a goal for the South Korean women's soccer team, Chinese fans thought she was the No. 1 international player, but such a viewpoint may be equally absurd to American and Swedish fans. Of course, Wang Frost is much better than Devi, but Indians don't think so. Wang Frost is still a far cry from Rapinoe, but Chinese fans disagree.
In 2018, the AFC gave the Miss Football Asia award to Wang Frost, while Devi had come close to winning the award in 2019, just barely edging out Devi that year when Sachie Kumagai led the Lyon women's soccer team to the Triple Crown. Devi hasn't played in the Asian Cup or the Asian Games, and the Indian women's soccer team struggled to even get past the qualifying rounds, but that hasn't stopped domestic fans from touting her as one of Asia's top players, except that they don't think the coaches have used Devi well. Wang Frost, on the other hand, didn't have a great performance in international competitions, with zero offense and assist numbers, but we still dare to say she's top international. In fact, Indian fans see it the same way we do.
I look forward to the day when Wang Frost qualifies for Miss International Football, when she truly becomes an international star. Currently, only Australia's Cole, South Korea's Ji Xiaoran and Japan's Kumagai Sakae have qualified as such among active players in Asia. Of course, India's women's soccer captain Devi, the female Messi in the hearts of the nation, was close to winning Miss Asian Football, but she is not an Asian-level star, as she has no noteworthy accomplishments within Asia and is almost negligible in East Asian women's soccer circles.
