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2023 World Cup kicks off with much fanfare; USWNT prepares to take pitch

Victoria Hernandez   Paste BN
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The 2023 World Cup is officially here!

The tournament kicked off Thursday in New Zealand and Australia. Major props to those of you who rallied to stay up late or wake up early to catch the 3 a.m. ET start time!

The host nations won as New Zealand stunned Norway to earn its first World Cup victory and Australia beat Ireland to start its quest toward a World Cup trophy.

The United States has been warming up in the chilly winter weather as they prepare to open play Friday with a Group E matchup against Vietnam. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET at Eden Park, New Zealand's national stadium.

The tournament is expected to be historic. FIFA said it is on pace to be the highest-attended women's sports event in history after selling more than 1 million tickets.

How to watch the World Cup: Fan guide as USWNT seeks third straight title

Nancy on the ground at the World Cup

Auckland is adorable. With coffee shops and small businesses everywhere you turn, its proximity to the water (and very vocal seagulls), and hilly streets, I’ve heard it compared to Portland, Seattle and San Francisco. They drive on the opposite side of the road here and electric scooters are prevalent. Oh, and fun fact I’ve learned: Skim milk is called “trim milk."

- Nancy Armour, Paste BN Sports columnist

What you missed

"Words can’t even describe, honestly.': Hannah Wilkinson scored in the 48th minute and New Zealand stunned Norway 1-0 to open the 2023 World Cup on Thursday night in front of a raucous crowd of 42,137, the largest ever to see a soccer game in New Zealand. The fans whistled and cheered throughout the closing minutes of the game, and a roar erupted when time finally expired.

Deadly shooting in Auckland, hours before World Cup opens: Two people were killed and several others injured in a shooting Thursday morning at a building under construction near the waterfront location of the city's World Cup Fan Festival. The male shooter is also dead, New Zealand police said in a statement. The U.S. women are among the teams in Auckland for their opening World Cup games, and most are staying near the waterfront. U.S. Soccer said the USWNT, which plays its first game Friday night, is "accounted for and safe."

2023 World Cup will bring in a half-billion dollars: The World Cup will break even despite a significant increase in prize money, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday, generating roughly a half-billion dollars. It’s even more notable given this is the first time the women’s tournament is being treated as its own commercial entity, rather than being thrown in as an afterthought to deals for the men’s World Cup.  

Megan Rapinoe retiring: The day before the U.S. women’s national team hopped on a flight to New Zealand to begin defending its World Cup title, soccer legend Megan Rapinoe, who won both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball at the 2019 World Cup, had some news: This season will be her last. She said in making the decision she felt a "deep sense of peace and gratitude and excitement."

USWNT finally reflects the country it represents: The United States is known as a melting pot for its blending of cultures and heritages. But the national soccer team has predominately featured white athletes and has far from reflected the population it stands for. This year, that changes as nine women of color will represent the Stars and Stripes. For most of them, they’ve spent the bulk of their careers being the only Black or brown person on their teams, as well as those they’ve faced.

What’s Next

The USWNT takes the pitch for its first game against Vietnam at 9 p.m. ET on Friday at Eden Park, New Zealand's national stadium. The Stars and Stripes play in Group E, which also includes Netherlands and Portugal.

Games happening before that:Nigeria vs. Canada, 10: 30 p.m. ET today (Group B)

Philippines vs. Switzerland, 1 a.m. ET Friday (Group A)

Spain vs. Costa Rica, 3:30 a.m. ET Friday (Group C)

Watch This

The France national team released a jaw-dropping promotional video for the World Cup that went viral. It opened with players from the men's team making incredible passes and thrilling goals. Halfway through, the video revealed that the action was actually special effects to superimpose the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann over Estelle Cascarino and Sakina Karchaoui.

Quote Me On That

"It’s a great moment to be here. For those of you who are waiting to hear how I feel today, today I feel tired. Because I just landed. But I feel very happy. Obviously it’s a great joy and happiness to be here." — FIFA President Gianni Infantino said with a laugh to reporters ahead of the World Cup kickoff.

The Essentials

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