Women's World Cup Opening Ceremony 2023: Date, TV Start Time and Live Stream
The biggest event in women's football is rapidly approaching. The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is set to get underway on Thursday, and this edition of the tournament will feature a lot of firsts.
For the first time ever, Australia and New Zealand will jointly host the tournament, and the event will feature 32 nations, up from 24 in previous iterations.
Fans will also see several countries make their debuts at the Women's World Cup, including the Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Haiti, Panama, Zambia, Morocco, Vietnam and Philippines.
The action will kick off with the opening ceremony, and below, you'll find everything you need to know to take in the festivities.
2023 Women's World Cup Opening Ceremony
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When: Thursday, July 20
Time: 1 a.m. ET (estimated)
Where: Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand
TV and Live Stream: Fox, Telemundo, Fox Sports App
Opening Match: New Zealand vs. Norway
Opening Ceremony Preview
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While there is no official start time for the opening ceremony, just before New Zealand and Norway kick off the tournament. According to Goal.com, the ceremony is expected to take place after the players' pre-game warmup and is rumored to have a run time of 10 minutes.
The ceremony and opening match will be held at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand. Auckland is the nation's largest city, and Eden Park serves as its national stadium.
While details about the opening ceremony are sparse, we do know that local artists Benee, of New Zealand and Mallrat of Australia are expected to perform "Do It Again," the official song of the Women's World Cup.
"Being a small part of this incredible celebration of women's sport is an absolute dream come true for me," Benee said, per Matt Verri of Yahoo Life. "As a keen young football player I just couldn't have imagined this."
According to Goal.com, performances will also include a Haka— a ceremonial dance of the Māori culture—by The New Zealand Māori All Blacks, a New Zealand Rugby Union team. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra is also expected to perform, while an international children's vocal group will recite a poem "about the power of football."
The kick-off between New Zealand and Norway will immediately follow.
Tournament Preview
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While New Zealand will host the opening match, the battle between Australia and the Republic of Ireland may be the day's biggest draw.
According to FIFA, the demand for match tickets was great enough that the game was moved to Stadium Australia in Sydney. The venue was previously scheduled to host knockout matches only.
"FIFA's mission is to organise the biggest and best Women's World Cup in history this year, and fans, those who bring colour, passion, and atmosphere to Stadiums will be such an integral part of the tournament's success," FIFA Secretary General, Fatma Samoura said in a statement. "With this in mind, we have taken a decision that will enable over 100,000 fans to attend the opening matchday."
New Zealand and Australia may be playing hosts, but they're not among the early favorites for the tournament. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Team USA is the favorite at 25-10, while England is close behind at 7-2. Spain (9-2), Germany (13-2) and France (10-1) round out the top of the odds list.
Bleacher Report's Joe Lowry recently power-ranked all 32 competitors and had Germany, France, Spain and England behind No. 1-ranked United States.
As Lowry explained, the best teams in the tournament may not meet until the very end:
"The United States also get to enjoy a favorable bracket this summer. If the U.S. top Group E, and England, France, and Germany all top their groups, the U.S. won't meet any of those teams until the final."
The tournament is scheduled to run through August 20, and it should be a month-long celebration of some of the world's best footballers. It all begins this Thursday at the opening ceremony.
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