World Cup Daily: Australia, New Zealand hoping for inspiring starts

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will officially get rolling early Thursday, when co-hosts Australia and New Zealand play their opening matches against the Republic of Ireland and Norway, respectively.

History will be made the moment a ball is kicked since it will be the first World Cup hosted in the Southern Hemisphere, and the first Women’s World Cup with 32 teams, but there’s potential for even more history to be made on Thursday. Here’s everything you need to know about the first two matches:

Opening ceremony at Eden Park

Though the tournament is co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, there will only be one opening ceremony at Eden Park in Auckland, where the Football Ferns will play the first match of the tournament.

Local artists Benee and Mallrat will perform “Do It Again,” the official song of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Sam Kerr and Ada Hegerberg headline Matchday 1

Two of the biggest stars in women’s soccer will take the field on Thursday.

Striker Sam Kerr, who captains Australia, will try to get The Matildas on the board early. Kerr, who made her World Cup debut at 17 years in 2011, is Australia’s all-time leading goalscorer with 63 goals. At the 2019 Women’s World Cup, she scored five goals, four of which came against Jamaica in the group stage.

Norway striker Ada Hegerberg didn’t play at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in protest of the Norwegian Football Federation, but she’s back with the team this year and makes Norway a serious title contender. A Ballon d’Or Féminin winner in 2018, Hegerberg is a safe bet for the Golden Boot.

Group A: New Zealand vs. Norway (3 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

New Zealand has competed in five Women’s World Cups, including the last four, but it has never won a match at the tournament. In 15 tries, the Football Ferns have lost 12 times and tied three times. It’s the longest winless streak in Women’s World Cup history.

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: New Zealand Team Preview with Alexi Lalas

They’ll be hoping to snap that streak on Thursday in front of their home crowd at Eden Park in New Zealand, but a win won’t come easy against Norway — especially if New Zealand concedes first.

Norway is 22W-2D-2L when it scores first at the Women’s World Cup, according to FOX Sports Research. New Zealand has also lost all five of its previous World Cup openers by a combined score of 12-1. But hosts are 7W-0D-1L all-time at the Women’s World Cup, so Thursday could be a day to remember for New Zealand.

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Norway team preview with Alexi Lalas

[Everything you need to know about Group A]

Group B: Australia vs. Ireland (6 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app)

If Australia is going to top its group for the first time at the Women’s World Cup, it’s going to have to use its star power and experience at the tournament to its advantage against Women’s World Cup debutant Ireland. Meanwhile, Ireland will try to open its account at the Women’s World Cup with a win, and there’s reason to believe it could happen.

2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: Australia Team Preview with Alexi Lalas

Australia is 1W-1D-5L in women’s World Cup openers and has lost its last three, with the last win in an opening match coming against Ghana in 2007, according to FOX Sports Research. The Matildas are also just 1W-3D-5L against UEFA nations in the women’s World Cup all-time. We’ll see if they can get a boost from their home fans at Stadium Australia.