The 2023 Women's World Cup will officially begin with co-hosts New Zealand raising the curtain on the tournament in a Group A match against Norway.
New Zealand are not expected to escape a tough group featuring two European sides, as Switzerland also await the Football Ferns, but if they can manage to feed off the crowd, it could give them the jolt needed to spring an upset.
In truth, there's little precedent for this match — all previous Women's World Cup hosts were countries with upper echelon status in the women's game. New Zealand, ranked No. 26 in the world, are the lowest-ranked Women's World Cup hosts in the tournament's history.
Therefore, it's hard to know how much the host boost will prop up the Football Ferns against 12th-ranked Norway, who are a global force and considered if not one of the title contenders, then at least the next tier below.
MORE: World Cup match schedule with kickoff times & updated results
New Zealand vs Norway match facts
- Date: Thursday, July 20
- Kickoff Time: 3 a.m. ET (8 a.m. BST / 5 p.m. AEST / 7 p.m. NZST)
- Location: Eden Park (Auckland, New Zealand)
- Official: Yoshimi Yamashita (Japan)
- Last meeting: Norway 2-0 New Zealand (June 25, 2022 | International Friendly)
MORE: Ranking the Top 10 kits at the Women's World Cup 2023
New Zealand vs Norway prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Norway (-350)
- Handicap (spread) lean: Norway -1.5 (-120)
- Score prediction: New Zealand 1-3 Norway
This Norway team is just too good for New Zealand to match up against, and if the Football Ferns are going to get out of the group it will have to come in the two more winnable games that will follow. The combination up front between Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen will be too formidable for New Zealand to handle, and it's hard to see the hosts keeping up.
If the co-hosts wish to earn a surprise result here, they'll need to grind out a low-scoring draw or maybe even snatch a 1-0 victory, but piecing together a 90-minute performance will be a tall ask for captain Ali Riley and her defensive unit. We'll see what New Zealand's Czech head coach Jitka Klimkova, a product of the USWNT youth system, can craft.
| New Zealand win | Draw | Norway win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | NZL +1.5 | NOR -1.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | +825 | +450 | -350 | +100 / -145 | -165 / +120 | -115 | -120 |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | +740 | +400 | -400 | -106 / -147 | -179 / +127 | -105 | -125 |
| SkyBet (UK) | 15/8 | 23/10 | 13/10 | 5/6, 5/6 | 11/10, 4/6 | — | — |
| Unibet (Australia) | 9.75 | 5.60 | 1.28 | 2.06 / 1.73 | 1.61 / 2.25 | 1.97 | 1.87 |
| Dafabet (India) | 3.10 | 3.25 | 2.49 | 2.02 / 1.80 | 2.42 / 1.60 | 1.25 | 4.50 |
New Zealand vs Norway best bet
- Pick: Both teams to score — YES
- Odds: +100 (BetMGM)
Norway have had some defensive clankers over the past year or two, and in a showcase match on the home field of the co-hosts, there's no chance they keep New Zealand out of the net.
It's hard to back New Zealand to produce a result against a quality Norway side, but for them to be shut out will take a herculean effort by the European side, one they likely won't manage.
New Zealand vs Norway prop bet
- Pick: Ada Hegerberg anytime goal scorer
- Odds: -135 (BetMGM)
It's been a while since we've heard from Ada Hegerberg partly due to a long bout with injuries and a dispute with the national federation, but she's back on the global stage and still in her prime years.
Hegerberg returned from injury in late March, and she immediately hit the ground running, scoring four goals in eight matches for club and country. Expect her to make the most of this chance to show her talents to the world yet again, and she could even make a push for the Golden Boot if Norway stick around long enough. That push starts here.
New Zealand vs Norway live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Fox, Telemundo | Fubo, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes site/app, Fox Sports site/app |
| Canada | TSN1, TSN4, TSN5 | TSN+, RDS site/app |
| UK | BBC One | BBC iPlayer, BBC website |
| Australia | Seven | Optus Sport, 7plus |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport 1 | Prime TV, Sky Go, Sky Sport NOW |
| India | DD Sports Channel | Fancode |
| Hong Kong | Now TV | Viu |
| Singapore | Singtel TV | StarHub TV+, Singtel TV GO, CAST, mewatch |
