The 2023 Women’s World Cup kicked off as planned in Auckland on Thursday, with the co-hosting nation New Zealand triumphing in the opening match against Norway just hours after a lone shooter killed two people and injured six others in the city.
Veteran New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson secured her team victory against Norway, which won the tournament in 1995, with a goal three minutes into the second half.
The victory came just hours after the centre of Auckland was shutdown when a gunman, later named as 24-year-old Matu Tangi Matua Reid, entered a construction site and began shooting, killing two people and injuring six others.
Related Stories
Sports
How To Watch The Women's World Cup Online & On TV As U.S. Goes For A Threepeat
Breaking News
Paramount+ Gives Crime Drama 'Last King Of The Cross' Second Season
He was found dead at the scene after a shootout with police. The motive for his shooting spree is unknown.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the situation had been contained and there was no risk to national security.
The opening ceremony, celebrating the Maori people of New Zealand and First Nations people of co-host Australia, went ahead as planned at 5.30pm local time (10pm PT) to a packed stadium. There was a minute’s silence before the match in remembrance of the shooting victims.
Co-host Australia were due to face Ireland in front of a record 70,000-strong crowd at Stadium Australia in Sydney at 8pm local time (3 am PT).
This year’s tournament is the ninth Women’s World Cup since its launch in 1991 and marks its biggest to date amid growing popularity and professionalization for female championship soccer.
Hot favorite among the 32 competing the teams is the U.S., which is the current champion having won the 2019 tournament in France.
It was announced last week that the team’s bid to take the cup home for a third time is being captured for a docu-series that will launch on Netflix this fall.
With Australia and New Zealand hosting the competition, it is the first time the Women’s World Cup has been held in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also the first time that any FIFA World Cup Contest has unfolded across two nations.
The timezone has impacted TV rights deals in Europe, where the matches are playing out in the morning and less likely to draw viewers as a result.
This resulted in a stand-off over broadcast fees between FIFA and broadcasters in the key team territories of England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, with a deal signed just five weeks before the tournament began.
Speaking on radio station France Info on Thursday morning as the tournament began, French Minister of Sport Amélie Oudéa-Castéra expressed satisfaction a deal had been struck.
She said FIFA had initially been too ambitious in its pricing, given the timezone differences and summer holiday period in which the matches are being played out.
France Télévisions and M6 are sharing coverage in France, while BBC and ITV are covering the tournament in the U.K.
In the U.S., Fox has U.S. English-language rights and will air all 64 games across Fox and Fox Sports 1, while Telemundo owns Spanish-language rights.
For a breakdown of how to watch in the tournament in the U.S., click here.
Must Read Stories
Comic-Con Preview: Big Crowds Expected Despite Absence Of Stars
Adds 5.9M Subs In Q2, Says Password-Sharing “Working” As Sarandos Talks Strikes
Latest On Treegate; Political Group At AMPTP HQ; Picket Line Dispatches
NBC Reveals Revised Fall Schedule, Stays In Scripted With New & Returning Drama Series
Read More About:
Source: Read Full Article
