FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 on Optus Sport – It’s day one of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ in Australia and New Zealand and the two hosts are in action, kicking off the tournament that runs across July and August.
All 64 games are being show live and on demand on Optus Sport, with all the action starting later today.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the first day of action, from what time the games are on to who the best players to watch out for are.
New Zealand vs Norway (5pm AEST)
The tournament kicks off down in Auckland at Eden Park as New Zealand look to start the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ with a bang against the heavy favourites to top Group A, Norway.
New Zealand have never won a FIFA Women’s World Cup™ match and despite holding home advantage, it will be a tall order to record their first against the 12th best-ranked team in the world.
By comparison, the Football Ferns are ranked in 26th and hold a record of three draws and 12 defeats in 15 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ games.
Norway have an impressive record by comparison, reaching the semi-finals in four of the first five FIFA Women’s World Cups™.
However, they’ve struggled to replicate that success in the last three editions, suffering a group-stage exit in 2011 before losing in the last 16 and quarter finals in the last two FIFA Women’s World Cups™.
Australia vs Ireland (8pm AEST)
Following the game in Auckland, attention switches to a sold-out Stadium Australia in Sydney, where the Matildas will start their FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ campaign against Ireland.
80,000 people will be crammed into the stadium after FIFA moved the fixture from the Sydney Football Stadium due to such huge demand for tickets.
Australia’s momentum under Tony Gustavsson has seen them emerge as one of the favourites to return to Stadium Australia for the final on August 20, having secured recent wins over England and France.
The Matildas have won nine of their last 10 internationals but have a poor record when it comes to the first game of a FIFA Women’s World Cup™, losing their last three tournament openers.
Ireland, on the other hand, are ranked 12 places below the Matildas and are making their first ever appearance at a FIFA Women’s World Cup™.
The Girls in Green have failed to score in four of their last five games and had their final FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ warm-up game against Colombia abandoned after 20 minutes after the South Americans were accused of being “overly physical”.
Players to watch
Sam Kerr (Australia)
Sam Kerr is the poster girl for this FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ and one of the favourites to win the Golden Boot.
The Matildas captain is a back-to-back winner of the PFA Player of the Year in England after her performances in the WSL for Chelsea and has finished third in the voting for the Ballon d’Or in the last two years.
Should Australia not become victims to their own nerves in front of a sold-out crowd in Sydney, Kerr would expect to get plenty of chances to start her personal Golden Boot campaign off to the perfect start.
Ada Hegerberg (Norway)
Ada Hegerberg was a notable absentee from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019™ in France but is desperate to make up for lost time this time around.
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The inaugural women’s Ballon d’Or winner was not present as a result of her self-imposed five-year exile from the national team in protest of the attitude shown towards women’s football by the Norwegian football federation.
But the Women’s Champions League’s all-time top scorer ended her exile in order to return for Euro 2022 and will be looking to find the net against a New Zealand side who have not won at a World Cup.
Where to watch
Like every game of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, New Zealand vs Norway and Australia vs Ireland will be shown live and on demand on Optus Sport.
Coverage begins on Optus Sport from 3pm (AEST), with New Zealand vs Norway kicking off at 5pm (AEST).
The build-up to the coverage of the Matildas’ first game will begin at the conclusion of the first game, with game scheduled for an 8pm kick off.
Media Release – Optus Sport
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