opening match in New Zealand, entry into the running of the Australians… The matches on Thursday’s program

The kick off of a month of football on the Oceanian continent. The 2023 World Cup begins on Thursday July 20 with the two inaugural meetings of the co-hosts of the competition. While the official opener has been awarded to New Zealand, who challenge Norway, attention will be at least as focused on Sydney, where the Matildas host Ireland.

9 a.m.: New Zealand-Norway (France 2)

Eden Park in Auckland goes into football mode. The usual All Blacks lair hosts the first match with a poster between New Zealand and Norway, favorites of this group A. If it is their sixth participation in the World Cup, the Football Ferns are still looking of a first coronation in the competition.

Opposite, not sure that the partners of the Lyonnaise Ada Hegerberg, absent from the last World Cup 2019 for boycott, do not hear it that way. Quarter-finalists in France, the Scandinavians must wash away the affront represented by their elimination from the pools of the last Euro, with a stinging 8-0 defeat against England.

12 noon: Australia-Ireland (W9)

In Group B, Australia must negotiate their start to the tournament well against the Irish. Before the clash, all the signals are green for the locals, strong from their last victory against the France team (1-0), which itself had disposed of Ireland in early July (3-0). Sam Kerr’s Matildas will also be able to count on a large audience won over to his cause.

Faced with massive demand, the organizers relocated the meeting from the Allianz Stadium, pregnant sydnean 42,500 seats, to Stadium Australia, a stadium that can accommodate up to 80,000 people, where the final will take place in a month.

It should be noted that the Irish team interrupted its final preparation match against Colombia after twenty-three minutes last Friday, the meeting having become “too rough”. Midfielder Denise O’Sullivan was notably hit in a tibia.