CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand -- The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, kicked off Thursday with a month of intense competition leading up to the final on Aug. 20. The first match following the opening ceremony was a victory by cohost New Zealand, 1-0 over Norway.
The 32 teams will play in eight qualifying groups, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the round of 16.
The 11th-ranked Japanese team, known as Nadeshiko Japan, will face 77th-ranked Zambia in its opening Group C match on Saturday as it looks to regain the title it won in 2011.
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