Record attendance and victories for the two host countries, New Zealand and Australia

It’s a competition that wants to be historic. The Women’s World Cup opened on Thursday, July 20, with enthusiasm for New Zealand and Australia, the host nations initially triumphant with record attendance. 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 edition are hoping to take their discipline to a new level, four years after the successful edition in France .

More than 115,000 spectators in total attended the opening two matches of the tournament. And they spoiled the surprising victory of the New Zealanders over the Norwegians (1-0) and the most expected victory of the Australians over the Irish (1-0). The New Zealand public answered the call, packing 42,137 at the iconic Eden Park – a record for a football match in the archipelago, according to the local association.

As for the fans of the Australian Matildas, they also made a mark on their land in women’s football, as 75,784 spectators were counted in Stadium Australia, the legendary stage for the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000. The organizers hope that this enthusiasm will accompany during a month of competition (until August 20) this ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup, which is scheduled to accelerate the development of the discipline, between increasing professionalism and commitments.

Sam Kerr was injured

On the field, New Zealand’s Football Ferns were up to the challenge, against former Norway footballer Lionel Ada Hegerberg, during their elimination opener after half-time. Goal from striker Hannah Wilkinson (48^H) achieved their first victory (1-0) in the competition, on their sixteenth attempt.

2,000km to the west, it was Arsenal’s Steve Catley who donned the hero’s kit by converting a penalty on 52^H minute. A moment of chills for a sold-out stadium and beyond. Melbourne’s Federation Square venue, where a giant screen has been installed, unleashed joy despite the coldness of this winter’s night.

And the “Al-Ula” spread on the field almost made us forget that the Australian star striker and captain, Sam Kerr, was injured in the calf on Wednesday, and he lost at least two matches. A big blow to the “Aussie”, especially if the absence extends beyond July 31, the date of the second group confrontation against the Canadian Olympic champion.

Shooting in Oakland

The emotionally charged opening two matches were preceded by a minute’s silence for the two people killed in an earlier shooting in central Auckland. The incident, which has nothing to do with the tournament, according to FIFA, disrupted the preparation of many selections in the neighborhood, including the American duo. FIFA and the New Zealand authorities have confirmed that there are no particular security concerns around the competition.

“This trophy will become a symbol and we will see some exceptional matches here. The world will watch.”Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, is excited, who expects ” to celebrate “ Women’s football, eight months after the men’s World Cup in Qatar was denounced. 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.

But this acceleration is accompanied by doubts about the health of the players. Many stars, such as the French Marie Antoinette Catoto or the English Beth Mead, dropped out due to a serious knee injury. This competition in the southern hemisphere, which takes place in July and August, also raises the question of TV fans in major football countries, who will sometimes have to get up early to watch matches due to the time difference. FIFA narrowly avoided an audiovisual fiasco by signing last-minute broadcast deals in Europe and Japan.