Women’s World Cup 2023 kicks off

The ninth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup is officially underway.

Over the next four weeks, 32 teams will compete across 64 matches at 10 venues in Australia and New Zealand.

Opening Day brought its share of thrills on the pitch, with a big upset win for one host country and a tense match that ended in victory for the other. As the soccer world turns its attention to the women’s tournament, the World Cup has also highlighted a number of issues off the pitch.

The matches:

Other key storylines:

What’s next: The action resumes on the pitch tomorrow. The US Women’s National Team, which arrives as the two-time defending champion and arguably the favorite to win an unprecedented third consecutive title, will play Vietnam at 9 p.m. ET.

The US Women’s National Team arrives at this year’s Women’s World Cup tournament as the two-time defending champion and arguably the favorite to win an unprecedented third consecutive title.

The US plays its first match against Vietnam Saturday afternoon in Auckland, New Zealand. While the game kicks off at 1 p.m. local time, for Americans watching from home, that’s actually 9 p.m. ET on Friday.

In the US, the match will air on your local Fox channel. You can also stream the match by signing in with your TV provider at foxsports.com or on the Fox Sports app. Telemundo and Peacock are providing Spanish-language coverage.

Watching from elsewhere? A full breakdown of media rights holders in each country is available on the FIFA website.

According to sports data company Gracenote, the US is the favorite to win the tournament with a 18% chance of success.

For the first time ever, a total of 32 teams will vie for this year’s Women’s World Cup prize – the most countries to ever compete at the tournament.

The bumper number of teams means there is space for eight nations who have never made an appearance at a World Cup finals before: Haiti, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Vietnam and Zambia are all making their debut at the competition this year.

Ireland lost to co-host country Australia in the team’s first match on Thursday. It’s set to take on Canada next week.

World No. 77 Zambia is the lowest-ranked team in the tournament and its achievement of reaching the finals has been rewarded with group games against Spain, Japan and Costa Rica.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan women’s team has continued the incredible rise of football in the country.

The Atlas Lionesses reached the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations last year – a tournament hosted in the country – before being beaten by South Africa.

It comes as the men’s side reached the semifinals at Qatar 2022 – the first African nation to do so

Haiti, ranked 53rd in the world, is another debutant which will be looking to upset the odds in Australia and New Zealand.

While the new additions can be seen as progress for the tournament, there are fears that it could lead to some one-sided matches.

In the 2019 edition, the USWNT beat Thailand 13-0 in a match which sparked debate over the disparity between nations – with some countries struggling to find resources to compete with the sport’s powerhouses.

All eyes will be on this year’s minnows who will be hoping to avoid such embarrassment on the global stage.

Read more about how this year’s World Cup is breaking new ground here.

Australia’s Steph Catley celebrates her goal against Ireland on July 20.

Steph Catley, Australia’s stand-in captain, had the weight of the nation on her shoulders as she stepped up to take the match-winning penalty in the second half against the Republic of Ireland.

Wearing the armband in place of the injured Sam Kerr, Catley held her nerve from 12 yards to secure an important three points in the team’s opening World Cup match.

“It’s hard to put into words to be honest,” she told British broadcaster ITV. “It’s been such a big build-up for us.

“We’ve had a lot of adrenaline and excitement coming into the game, we had some moments where we had to work through that.

“Obviously, we didn’t have Sammy [Kerr]. I’ve had conversations with [head coach] Tony [Gustavsson] about it, about me potentially needing to take one if the opportunity came up, and I felt confident to do it.

Despite a disappointing result against Australia, Ireland’s fans have much to cheer about.

Their side showed it can go toe-to-toe with a powerhouse of women’s soccer and was only denied a memorable result by a second-half penalty.

While the Irish players trudged off the pitch in Sydney, fans watching in Brisbane could see the positives.

“Disappointing but very uplifting,” Ireland fan Sean Stanley told CNN, while he attended a fan park in the city.

“We know we’re good defensively and we did that well tonight and we showed attacking threat as well. It’s 1-0, it’s unfortunate, but that’s it.”

The match was Ireland’s first ever game in the Women’s World Cup, but there was no sign of nerves.

On another day, Ireland might have found an equalizer after piling the pressure on the Matildas in the final few moments.

Ireland fan John McGarry told CNN that he was proud of how the players represented the country.

“We can’t take away from the Girls in Green here,” he said.

Screens show the attendance number of the match between Australia and Ireland on July 20.

Australia’s Women’s World Cup opener against the Republic of Ireland set a new single-game attendance record for a women’s soccer match in the country, with 75,784 fans watching the Matildas’ 1-0 win at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Expect to see more attendance records set at this World Cup, with almost 1.4 million tickets already sold, surpassing the previous record set at Canada 2015.

Australia's Clare Polkinghorne and Clare Hunt celebrate after winning the match against Ireland on July 20.

Australia manages to hold on to record its first win of this year’s Women’s World Cup.

The co-host had to weather a mighty Irish storm in the final few moments but defended resolutely when it mattered.

The full-time whistle was greeted with celebrations on the pitch and from fans packed into Stadium Australia.

Disappointment for Ireland which stepped up on its tournament debut, but a magical opening day for both co-hosts as they both take three points.

(From left to right) Irish fans Kerryn, Oscar, Joshua and Samantha traveled to Australia from Limerick, Ireland. 

Australia certainly has lots of support in Sydney for its opening match but, despite the game being held on the other side of the world, plenty of Irish fans are making their voices heard.

While many Irish spectators are already living in Australia, some have made the trip over to watch their side play in the Women’s World Cup for the first time.

Oscar, Kerryn, Joshua and Samantha have traveled all the way from Limerick, Ireland, to be inside Stadium Australia — a roughly 10,800-mile trip one way. 

They won’t be too happy with the result so far and their team is holding on a bit now with five minutes left to play.

Steph Catley of Australia converts the penalty to score the team's first goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia on July 20.

Deafening sound inside the stadium as Australia finally has the breakthrough… but Ireland is furious.

The Matildas have been piling on the pressure since the restart and were rewarded with a penalty after Hayley Raso was clumsily brought down in the box.

Ireland’s players protested the decision, but the referee had very little choice.

Captain Steph Catley stepped up and fired her spotkick into the top corner of the net. The crowd liked that one.

Ireland gets the game underway again and has 45 minutes left to secure another shock result on the opening day of the Women’s World Cup.

Australia will need to do something different after the break and the crowd inside the stadium expects a victory.

The co-host is a notoriously slow starter at the World Cup, having lost the opening game of the last three tournaments.

Can the Matildas deliver this year?

New Zealand's Hannah Wilkinson celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Women's World Cup soccer match between New Zealand and Norway in Auckland, New Zealand, on July 20.

New Zealand’s victory over Norway marked the country’s first ever World Cup win, despite the Football Ferns’ previous five appearances in the women’s tournament.

Coach Jitka Klimkova told reporters Thursday that the win “means so much” especially for the three current players who were part of the previous winless World Cup squads.

“Seeing them having tears in their eyes and enjoying it in front of their families and friends and fan, incredible moment for me as a coach,” Klimkova said.

Klimkova added that she “will never forget” the moment when she saw the reaction from experienced players.

“Finally, finally it came,” she said. “Well deserved.”

An advertisement by telecoms company Orange and the French national team that uses visual effects to draw attention to the quality of the women’s game is spreading quickly on social networks.

The video is proving popular by making the point that — despite the pay disparity — women are just as skillful as men.

Targeting perceptions: According to trade sites, Orange and French creative agency Marcel sought to overturn prejudices that “all too often surround the players” — that the women’s game is less skilled and exciting than the men’s.

For the Orange ad, producers scoured the French Football Federation’s archives for weeks to find technical moves by the French Women’s National Team before searching for their “exact replicas” during the men’s game.

The videos are cut together with dramatic music and screaming fans to give the impression of a male highlights reel.

The assumptions that women’s sports are inferior to men’s, so are less deserving of investment and reward, has long been an issue perpetuated by misogynistic attitudes among some fans.

In 2022, a survey of 1,950 male football fans in the United Kingdom by Durham University found that “openly misogynistic attitudes” still dominate football fandom.

Those with misogynistic attitudes saw women’s sport as inferior, and its coverage as “positive discrimination” or “PC nonsense,” author Stacey Pope wrote for the Conversation.

Chris Hipkins, center, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and New Zealand players celebrate the team's 1-0 victory in the dressing room at Eden Park on July 20, in Auckland.

New Zealand women’s soccer coach Jitka Klimkova told reporters Thursday that Prime Minister Chris Hipkins congratulated the team after their historic win over Norway.

“He came to the locker room and he was very proud,” Klimkova said. “It was a very nice moment for us to have this kind of guest.”

New Zealand is known more for its rugby than soccer and Klimkova said Thursday she believes this World Cup will “wake up a lot of passion in football.”

“I believe the performance and the result [will] keep inspiring the nation,” Klimkova said.

“If we will have this crowd behind us every time we step on the field, that’s what we need. We need this kind of push.

“The fans for us are so important. I want to thank to them for coming and supporting us,” she said. “I hope they will keep coming and the love for football will just grow in this country.”

Hayley Raso of Australia, left, and Katie McCabe of Republic of Ireland compete for the ball during the Group B match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia on July 20.

Australia has struggled to lay a glove on the Republic of Ireland so far in this match – the co-host has hit the target only once in its first attempts on goal.

While Ireland has defended resolutely, it has looked dangerous at times itself but has been let down by decision-making around Australia’s box.

Ireland’s Katie McCabe has been brilliant in the opening 45 minutes, leading her team’s charge against the Matildas and getting stuck in with some strong tackles.

Ireland will be happy with the scoreline so far but will surely face yet more pressure after the break.

New Zealand’s women’s soccer team has a tradition of celebrating wins with ice cream, according to local media.

Asked what she’d be celebrating Thursday’s historic win with, coach Jitka Klimkova said she was recently introduced to ‘Hokey Pokey,’ a popular New Zealand ice cream flavor which consists of vanilla ice cream dotted with bits of honeycomb toffee.

“I believe there is going to be a lot of ‘Hokey Pokey,’” Klimkova told reporters.

Tears were shed by members of the Michelton senior women’s team when they found out Sam Kerr was out with an injury. Charlotte Andrew “cried on a public train,” her teammates said. “I’ll never be the same,” she added.

Unsurprisingly, the news of Sam Kerr’s injury has been met with shock and sadness in Australia.

The talismanic captain has been ruled out of the Matildas’ opening two matches due to a calf injury picked up in training.

Tears were even shed by members of Mitchelton Football Club senior women’s team, based in Brisbane, when they found out about Kerr’s injury.

Charlotte Andrew “cried on a public train,” her teammates said. “I’ll never be the same,” Andrew added, the yellow and green painted stripes on her face slightly smudged.

Matildas fan Kate Deegan said Sam Kerr's injury was “heartbreaking!” with her friends adding: “There’s great depth in the team.” Who will they watch now? “Mary Fowler!"

Another Matildas fan, Kate Deegan, called Kerr’s shock exclusion “heartbreaking.”

“But she’s got a strong team behind her,” Deegan added.

Her friends said: “There’s great depth in the team.”

Who will they watch now?

“Mary Fowler,” they yelled, referring to the forward who’s been chosen to replace Kerr up front.

Fowler was selected for the 2019 team but didn’t play, so there’s huge anticipation about her performance.

Jitka Klimkova, Head Coach of New Zealand, gives an interview after the team's 1-0 victory between New Zealand and Norway at Eden Park on July 20, in Auckland, New Zealand.

Following New Zealand’s historic win over Norway in the opening match of the 2023 World Cup, Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova told reporters she believes the halftime chat helped the squad secure the win.

Early in the second half, Hannah Wilkinson scored the decisive goal which clinched New Zealand’s first ever World Cup win, men’s or women’s.

Going into the break, Klimkova said: “We knew that our performance is very good. We wanted to stay consistent. Consistency of keeping the ball, getting to the final third, being very organized in defense.

“Those messages stayed the same, but we added few priorities: how we can use our spaces a little bit more wisely and more efficiently,” she added.

“We could see it in the second half and I believe that helped us to get the goal in,” Klimkova said.

Denise O'Sullivan (10) of Republic of Ireland controls the ball against Mary Fowler and Ellie Carpenter of Australia during the FIFA Women's World Cup Group B match between Australia and Ireland at Stadium Australia on July 20, in Sydney, Australia.

A quiet enough start inside Stadium Australia with both sides yet to settle into the game.

The cohost was expected to win this easily, but Ireland is in no mood to just lie down.

Ireland’s Katie McCabe and Australia’s Hayley Raso exchanged some tasty challenges which have caught the eye of the referee in the opening 20 minutes.

Neither side has yet to create a real chance.

Malia Steinmetz, center, celebrates victory after the FIFA Women's World Cup Group A match between New Zealand and Norway at Eden Park on July 20, in Auckland, New Zealand.

New Zealand got its World Cup campaign off to a dream start on Thursday, earning a shock win over a heavily fancied Norway side.

It was a historic result for the Ferns, who secured a first World Cup win for the country, men’s or women’s.

“It’s hard to describe, I think just the fact that we finally got that first ever win which has been so long overdue,” midfielder Malia Steinmetz told CNN’s Tara Subramaniam.

“That was just for all the girls that have made this team the way that the team is — in the past or future.

The day got off to a difficult and emotional start after a shooting in Auckland, the city where the match against Norway was played, left three people dead, including the shooter.

Steinmetz said the team spoke about it before the match.

“It was just something that was so sad to experience as a city and nation and just so close on our back doorstep,” she said.

“We obviously felt for the people that were involved and I know sports doesn’t contrast with life, it’s just a football game and so different to anyone’s life.

“It was just good to have the support out there today for us, even after everything that’s gone on.”

Australia's opening game against Republic of Ireland has kicked off at Stadium Australia in Sydney on July 20.

We have kickoff inside Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Australia in its famous green and gold colours gets the game underway against its opponents in all green.

CNN is witness to a lot of fans inside the stadium making plenty of noise, with both anthems sung passionately.

A minute’s silence was also respected to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting in Auckland earlier on Thursday.