[1/2] Soccer Football - FIFA Women's World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 - Previews - Perth, Australia - July 19, 2023 A general view of a sign outside the Perth Rectangular Stadium REUTERS/Luisa GonzalezAUCKLAND, July 20 (Reuters) - The ninth Women's World Cup and by far the biggest in the tournament's history kicks off on Thursday with co-hosts New Zealand and Australia in action, with record attendances expected at both their matches.
What began as a 12-team tournament in 1991, the Women's World Cup has steadily grown in stature and expanded to 32 teams - the same as the men's tournament.
New Zealand kick things off in Auckland against former champions Norway while Australia host Ireland, with both matches set to welcome more than 100,000 fans in total.
"It will set the tone for a Women's World Cup that I expect to become a watershed moment in global women's sports," FIFA Chief Women's Football Officer Sarai Bareman said.
The pressure is on New Zealand, however, not just as co-hosts but also because they have never won a match at the World Cup in five prior appearances.
Persons:
Luisa Gonzalez AUCKLAND, Sarai Bareman, Ada Hegerberg, Sam Kerr, Kerr, Rohith Nair, Christian Radnedge
Organizations:
Soccer Football, FIFA, New Zealand, Norway, Australia, Ireland, Women's, Chelsea, Thomson
Locations:
New Zealand, Perth, Australia, New, Auckland, Canada, Norway, Bengaluru