The start of the Women’s World Cup continued after a fatal shooting incident in New Zealand

A minute’s silence before the start of the Women’s World Cup. A shooting, unrelated to the tournament, according to FIFA, broke out on the sidelines of the preparation of several close selections, including the double American champion. Three people were killed, including the alleged shooter, and six were injured at a construction site in central Auckland.

In a statement, Captain Maren Mageldy said a helicopter and “a large number of emergency vehicles” had woken up the group from Norway.

The New Zealand Federation declared the Norwegian players were “shocked” by the shooting, a rare phenomenon in the archipelago, which raises questions about the security of the event.

The first day of the World Cup continues with a duel between Australia and Ireland (12:00 pm) in Sydney, where 75,000 spectators are expected to support the Matildas. There was silence just before the meeting began.

Organizers expect to break the local attendance record at legendary Eden Park, Temple Rugby and the All Blacks (43,000 seats in FIFA line-ups), the latest foray into a thriving competition.

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“famous award”

First World Cup featuring 32 teams, first World Cup in the southern hemisphere, first World Cup co-organised by two nations: The 736 players called up for this World Cup hope to take their discipline to a new level, four years after Successful release. in France.

“This trophy will become a symbol and we will witness some extraordinary matches here. The world will watch,” enthused Gianni Infantino, FIFA president who is expecting a “celebration” of women’s football, eight months after the men’s World Cup in Qatar.

The event is accompanied by a historic development in the discipline in the four corners of the world with increasing professionalism, attendance records falling one after another and players more committed to equality. “I feel like a real opportunity to take on the influence of media and marketing on the global economy around this sport,” predicts American Megan Rapinoe, the global icon of women’s soccer committed and hardcore. She is playing her fourth and last World Cup at the age of 38 and is aiming with the United States for a record-breaking third consecutive title.

Where men’s soccer is upset by the explosion in the number of matches and competitions, women’s soccer is catching up at a breakneck speed: from 16 teams in 2011, it has risen to 24 in 2015 and 32 this year. Even eight countries will experience the first final stage, such as Haiti and Morocco, the only eligible Arab country.

This context is accompanied by FIFA’s historically high allocations: $152 million promised to teams, three times more than in 2019 and ten times more than in 2015; and a minimum sum of $30,000 guaranteed to each individual player, first.

In the heart of a southern winter, Beautiful Promises is troubled by some doubts about filling New Zealand pitches. On Wednesday, FIFA even legitimized acts of seduction towards the inhabitants of the archipelago.

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Less than a quarter of the tickets were sold

“It’s not too late, we need you, come and watch the games,” President Infantino told New Zealand reporters in Auckland.

Only 320,000 tickets were sold in the country out of a total of 1.375 million tickets sold, less than a quarter.

“This is an opportunity for this country not only to be a rugby country, but to reawaken its love for football,” Kiwi coach Jitka Klimkova said on Wednesday. His team, “Football Firenze”, did not win a match in the final stage of the World Cup.

Held in the Southern Hemisphere between July and August, this tournament raises the question for TV viewers in major football nations who will sometimes have to get up early to watch matches due to the time difference. FIFA narrowly avoided the audiovisual fiasco by signing broadcast agreements in Europe and Japan at the last minute.

Despite the loss of many stars due to injuries – mostly to the knee – many teams seem to be armed with the title: the United States of course, but also Germany, France, Spain, England, Sweden, Canada … Australia and its star Sam Kerr, so ambitious, he can prove on Thursday He must count on the cup.