Hannah Wilkinson Scores First Goal Of 2023 Women's World Cup To Help New Zealand Beat Former Champions Norway

FIFA Women's World Cup co-hosts New Zealand upset the odds by beating Norway in the tournament's opening game on Thursday.

Norway — who won the Women's World Cup in 1995 and had 2018 Ballon d'Or Feminin winner Ada Hegerberg in their starting XI on Thursday — are ranked 14 places higher than New Zealand by FIFA.

But roared on by a crowd of 42,137 — the highest attendance ever for a soccer game in New Zealand — the Football Ferns beat their European opponents 1-0 at Auckland's Eden Park.

Hannah Wilkinson scored the first goal of the tournament in the 48th minute when she found the net from a Jacqui Hand cross.

New Zealand had a golden chance to make it 2-0 late on but Ria Percival, who plays her club soccer for Tottenham, hit the post from a penalty kick.

Highlights: New Zealand 1-0 Norway

Hannah Wilkinson pictured (center) scoring the first goal of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup to help New Zealand beat Norway 1-0 in Auckland

IMAGO/Xinhua/Bai Xuefei

This is New Zealand's sixth appearance at a Women's World Cup and they have not yet ever reached the knockout phase.

But they now have a very real chance of progressing from Group A to reach the round of 16.

Switzerland and the Philippines are the other two teams in Group A.